Nobody's Fool
by fantacination
Summary: -ch.9- HS/College AU. Axel has made a decision: make Riku his next target. And he enlists Roxas to help him out. What are best friends for, right? But Roxas wasn't supposed to fall for Riku, too. RikuRoku, AkuRiku, others.
1. Boredom

**Nobody's Fool**

_fantacination_

Disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts and Final Fantasy Characters and Concepts all belong to Square Enix. This fic doesn't intend to impinge on any copyrights nor make profit. Etcetera.

**Trick I**

**Don't Leave a Pyromaniac Bored.**

_"Then comes that hour when you are bored; that's the time for sex."_

_-H.G. Wells_

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"I'm bored," Axel announced.

"Everyone should take a little break from evil and mayhem. It's good for society," Roxas deadpanned, a gaming magazine in his hands. Axel was _always_ bored unless he was plotting, flirting, or burning. Preferably, all three

"But you get so many perks, being evil. There's always the badass fashion sense," Axel snorted. He lay on Roxas' blue-covered bed, twirling a novelty lighter that looked like a gigantic matchstick. He didn't flick it open, though. Most likely because Roxas would kill him if he did.

"And they all look the same in black leather," Roxas countered. He turned a page and settled himself a little more comfortably on the floor.

"Who's that?" Axel said suddenly, straightening up on the bed. His slanting, kohl-lined green eyes were firmly fixed to a point just beyond Roxas' door.

Roxas looked up from the magazine, following Axel's line of sight. Riku stood in the doorway to the kitchen, leaning against it with his hair tucked behind one ear and talking to Sora somewhere inside. "You mean Riku?"

"The guy talking to your brother?"

"Yeah. He's Sora's best friend," Roxas informed him.

Riku came by every now and then, but Roxas and Axel usually hung out at the arcade or somewhere around town. This would be the first time they met. That was a little strange, when he thought about it. Shrugging mentally, Roxas went back to his magazine, marking the pages with the tips on how to get the ultimate weapon for the latest RPG game.

Axel hummed a little and tapped the match stick on the palm of his other hand. Leaning over, he hit Roxas' magazine with the end of the plastic lighter-match.

"Target locked."

Roxas dropped his magazine with a groan. "Please keep your hands off my brother's friends. He gets really twitchy when people play with them. And you won't like him mad."

"It never hurts to take a challenge. Nothing's too hard if you've got a couple of people working on it." That sly little tone never bodes well. " 'Side's I'll be gentle. Like a dream."

Any dream Axel appeared in was more likely a nightmare.

"Well, _I'm_ not helping you." He frowned.

Axel had an all too familiar gleam in his green eyes. The sort of look that told him the redhead was plotting something. He could never hide that gleam from him. Sometimes Roxas suspected the redhead did it on purpose. The younger winced inwardly. This wouldn't be any good for him, he could see it already. He was looking at the edge of a cliff where the train passed by below.

"Why not? Being partners in crime is a full-time thing, didn't you know?"

Roxas sighed. He'd get wrapped in Axel's plan sooner or later. He always did. Something about being best friends did that. Although the older boy's cunning ways helped a lot. Turning the magazine back up, Roxas flopped against the bed. "Sometimes I wonder what I was thinking when I met you."

"That I'm hot, of course," Axel teased. "How much do you know about that guy?"

Glaring at him with exasperation, Roxas decided he'd let it go. He was too used to Axel to be really annoyed. He turned a page to look at the cheats for the latest Kingdom Quest game and exhaled loudly. "How the hell am I supposed to know anything about him?"

"He's friends with your brother."

Shooting Axel an annoyed glance for having a logical point, the blonde kicked the bed, shaking it a little. "Ass," he said succinctly.

"Thanks."

It figured that Axel had to have the last word. "What do you want to know, anyway?" he huffed, giving in.

"Well, for starters, you could tell me if he's _gay_."

Roxas blinked. "He's got long hair with more conditioner on it than you have gel. What do you think?" Although... Riku was a non-entity, as far as Roxas was concerned. A little like a classmate you knew was in the same year as you since time began but you never really talked to. You knew the guy and you didn't at the same time. He was almost like an interchangable but familiar fixture, like desks and chairs. Roxas had never really thought about whether or not Riku was gay, excepting the times it had been brought to his attention by a hopeful mother.

Tutting, Axel wagged a finger at him. "You know that's never a good indication. Not since you found out Wakka used his mom's conditioner. What was it again? Mane and Tail?" Wakka was a senior high school student, captain of the Blitzball team, and madly, embarrassingly in love with Lulu, resident goth queen. His latest courting fiasco involved flowers, a long, wax-slicked hallway, and a distinctly unimpressed Lulu. Roxas had a feeling the conditioner also had something to do with the redhead's bid to win his lady love.

"Fine, so he's straight." Maybe Axel would give up if Riku didn't swing with the rainbow coconut monkeys. He then winced and mentally berated himself for that thought. Axel had turned straight men gay before. They usually ended up gibbering.

"You give up too early," Axel replied archly, twirling the matchstick like a baton. He grinned and held his hands up to frame Riku with his fingers. The angle was far too low for him to be checking out Riku's conditioner. "With an ass like that, it would be a waste not to tap it."

"Spare me." Shaking his head, Roxas snatched the matchstick lighter from where Axel had dropped it. The bastard would probably just set fire to little old ladies or something if he let him keep it.

"Just tell me what you know, then."

"He's Riku," Roxas said blandly. "He's been Sora's friend forever, kicks his ass at basketball, soccer, and most videogames, has a fanclub, and probably gets straight As." He snorted as he ticked off the list. _Everyone_ knew Riku, at Destiny High. Just like everyone knew Sora. Sora was about as popular as Riku was. Either by extension, or by the simple fact that his cheery nature won him instant friends. He didn't have a fanclub, though. Partly due to his other best friend, Kairi's, intervention.

A low whistle. "Right little Mr. Perfect, isn't he?"

Roxas started to shrug, then paused and shook his head. "Probably not." He couldn't quite say why he thought so, but Riku had never struck him as quite perfect, even with all the trappings that he'd just listed. Whenever he saw him, Riku always felt a little… off. It was probably just his inner cynic.

Leaning back, Roxas examined the mobile on his ceiling, a relic from his elementary days. Or was it his kindergarten? The childish shapes swung on the gentle breeze from the window, like colorful birds tied to crossed poles.

"Why are you even asking about what he's like? Don't you usually just pounce and wham, bam, bed?" He sketched a hand distractedly in the air. Axel only ever asked for help when he had some special plan. Usually involving breaking into abandoned places or making people very uncomfortable.

"Is that really how you see me, Roxface? You could hurt a guy, like that."

"Nothing could pierce that thick hide you call skin."

"That's not true." Axel's voice turned abruptly serious. "I've been thinking of settling down with someone for a while, yanno? Saves time getting them drunk first."

Eying the redhead closely, the smaller teen tried to see if he was lying. Axel called it 'bending the truth'. But Axel's face seemed entirely serious. Running a hand through his tightly curling hair, Roxas huffed and let himself flop onto a beanbag chair.

"Alright. I'll see what I can remember." He launched into a meandering litany of the little things he could remember about Riku, a little surprised at how much he knew. Not that there was a lot of it. He often stopped for long periods of time, too. But… it was more than he expected. Riku was right handed, but he favored his left arm, he had a dog that Sora and Kairi had gotten him and Roxas had helped find, and he hadn't been caught smoking or doing drugs.

Axel listened, picking up and turning a controller over in his hands idly. He had always had strangely deft movements. And he'd always be twirling something around. Although he'd recently 'quit' smoking. Something about too many flammable things where he lived.

Roxas didn't want to know.

By the end of it, Axel's lips tugged into a half smile and he tapped his head a little. Another small habit. Roxas sometimes wondered if he had anything that gave him away like that.

"Got it. I think I'll be needing a little help, though."

"With what?" Roxas sighed, resigned.

"Recon." Axel grinned and sat up.

"You could do it yourself," Roxas scoffed, "looks like he's coming over." He jabbed a finger in the general direction of the door, and sure enough, Riku and Sora were making their way over.

Axel smiled and sat up on the bed, his feet dropping back to the floor. "Don't you love it when everything just falls into place?" he murmured lowly.

"Hey Rox, we're thinking if playing a 4-player tournament on the Wii, are you guys interested?" Sora's loud, cheery voice filled the room immediately, preceding the bouncing ball of energy that was his brother. Riku stepped in behind the boisterous boy, his face impassive, but there was a slight tilt about his mouth that suggested he was keeping himself from smiling.

Unfurling from the bed, Axel stood. "Sure, sounds great. What did you guys have in mind?"

"We'll see what we can find," Sora said airily.

"Meaning he can't remember where he put the games," Roxas noted.

Sora wasn't bothered in the least. "Hey, they're not lost or anything—I'll remember, eventually."

"Your friend's pretty quiet. Are you sure he's interested?" Axel asked, tilting his head in Riku's direction.

"Yeah, Riku loves video games," Sora chirped. Roxas had to hand it to Axel, he knew how to get information out of the right people. "Oh yeah, Riku, this is Axel, Roxas' best friend," Sora added.

Without waiting for them to exchange any pleasantries, he rounded on his twin brother, "So, Rox, you're going to play, too, right?" he asked rapidly, clearly eager to get on with the tournament. Grinning at Roxas' affirmative nod, Sora skipped out of the door, yelling back that he'd dig the Wii out of the closet.

"You guys are best friends? Guess opposites _do_ attract," Axel said mildly.

Riku nodded at Axel with a half-smile. "I just didn't think I needed to say much with Sora around," he said, answering Axel's earlier question. He nodded to Roxas as he went a little further into the room.

Axel arched an eyebrow suggestively. "Oh? Shame, you don't sound half bad."

If Riku noticed the flirting tone, he ignored it, shrugging.

Undeterred, Axel segued into the next topic. "What kinds of games do you like, then, Ri-ku? You don't look like the chess type." The redhead injected a challenging undertone to the last phrase. It worked like a charm. Riku's attention immediately focused on him.

"Just as well. You don't look like you know what half the pieces are called."

For a moment, Riku's eyes rested on Axel's midriff-baring tank top, the incredibly tight low-riding jeans splattered with paint. Axel's eyes were emphasized with a touch of red eyeliner, aside from the kohl, and the mess of bracelets and a smattering of tattoos (some henna and some real) on his arms stood out almost as much as his eyes. He looked like a hoodlum at best; a whore at all other times. Just the way Axel liked it. Roxas privately suspected he just did it for the stir it caused.

Axel grinned, letting the insult roll right over him. Insults to his intelligence were far from the worst anyone had hurled at the university student, Roxas knew. Not that any claims of stupidity were true. Axel's mind was sharp and cunning. Gifted, but bored. He preferred to employ his cleverness to devious strategies. His targets never knew what struck them.

"I can't help it if the chess club geeks can't appreciate a man of my talents." Axel sidled up next to Riku, boldly slinging an arm around the younger boy's shoulders and pressing a little closer than necessary.

"What, they weren't interested in your rates?" Riku asked blandly.

Roxas brought a hand up to cover his smirk. Oh, Axel would have his hands full.

"They'd have to get an offer, first." Said teen snorted, ignoring the pointed glance Riku was giving the arm slung around him.

Shaking his head subtly, Roxas slipped out of the door with no one the wiser, leaving his best friend to try to charm his new target. He did hope that there wouldn't be any blood involved, though. It would take ages to get out of the carpet.

--

He found his twin in the living room. Sora was humming as he set up the Wii game console they'd both gotten for Christmas. Watching him, Roxas wondered if his brother would ever grow up—and what everyone else would do if he did.

"YES, YES, POCKY GIRLS!" Sora sang, with too little right keys and too much enthusiasm.

"Hey," Roxas greeted, sitting down on the couch and crossing his legs idly in front of him. The couch sank blissfully under him. It was definitely his favorite piece of furniture in the house. When Sora and he had been small, they used to jump up and down on the cushions, screaming in glee at how far up or down they'd get. Their mother hadn't really helped by tickling them both whenever she caught them. Some days, they'd ended up sleeping on the couch, exhausted and sticky with whatever sweet their aunt had left for their little hands to find. Other times, when their parents had fought upstairs, the sound of their muffled shouts audible between thin walls, they'd crept down and curled up together on the sofa, their star-spangled blankets dragging behind them and small hands clutched together.

"Ro-xas, hand me the cable," Sora asked. From his tone, it hadn't been the first time.

"Sorry." Roxas took the cables his twin had pointed to and tossed them over. He felt inexplicably mild, right then. Axel was fun, but he always felt a little uneasy when he was with him. Sometimes he never knew where he was with the redhead. If he were hiding things or not. Axel's mysterious nature wasn't comforting. He shook his head to clear the thought. Axel was his best friend… He had stood up for him when Roxas got into trouble with that gang. It was unfair of him to judge him like that.

Something suddenly hit Roxas' shoulder, narrowly missing his face by inches. "Sh-" He swallowed the curse before it was born, the rest of it filtering to a little hiss. He didn't want to swear with Sora nearby. It was probably a stupid sentiment. Sora was by no means as innocent as he unconsciously projected himself to be. But Roxas had always felt a little self-conscious, anyway, biting back his tongue whenever he spoke with his brother. Sometimes he resented that gap between him and Sora, the product of growing up in different schools. But for the most part he felt responsible. The brunette was younger by a few minutes and he'd always tried to take care of him whenever their parents were away. That happened more and more frequently. It helped that something about Sora exuded an instant and subtle conscience zone. Anyone in that bubble would feel a little quelled and embarrassed for things that they may otherwise not have considered 'bad'.

"Oh man, sorry! Are you okay?" Sora asked, running over and looking on worriedly. "I got a little excited—I guess the controller slipped out of my hand. The slim white plastic Wii controller was beside Roxas' thigh, having rolled over there after bouncing.

Roxas grimaced and pretended to faint.

It didn't work. But, he hadn't meant it to. Sora had seen this routine any number of times by now.

"Oh ha ha, Roxas. I was worried," Sora pouted, rapping his fist less than gently on Roxas' gold-blonde hair. It was so different from his twin's long mahogany spikes. But the eyes were the same, Roxas reflected, opening his own and sticking his tongue out. Yeah, the same deep color of blue, but Roxas' were a little more slanted, 'a little colder'.

"There wouldn't be any need to worry if you used something properly, for once," Roxas pointed out. He was fine, though, for all that.

"It _slipped!_" Sora protested, "and I was eating buttered popcorn!"

"We had some?" Roxas asked, genuinely surprised.

Sora nodded, smile back in place. "Riku and me made some, earlier." He picked the Wii controller off the sofa, fastidiously wiping his hand off on the side of his pants before he did so. "Anyway Roxas, I still own you at Hopper, so you can't say I'm a klutz," Sora continued, naming one of the games.

"Only because jumping around like a kangaroo on too much coffee comes naturally for you," Roxas replied easily. It's an old argument, one Sora hasn't won yet.

Sora poked Roxas' side, carefully missing where the controller had hit. That was all it took for both of them to have an all out war.

That was how Riku found them, about ten minutes later, Roxas winning. He hadn't even noticed the taller teen' presence until seconds after the fact. Riku had the sort of smile on his face that was unconscious, a tilt of the mouth rather than a grin. With the living room in a mess and Sora currently facedown on the floor from tripping, he could guess what the silver-haired boy found so amusing. Throwing a cushion pilfered from the sofa at Sora's unprotected back, Roxas straightened up and said a quick, "I win."

"That didn't count!" Sora insisted, sitting up, probably cursing the fact that his shoes were bulkier than his twin's, and thus, more prone to getting in the way.

"That's what you said the last two times, Sowa," Roxas singsonged lightly before settling back on the couch , taking over most of it's somewhat de-cushioned length.

"Hey, Riku," Sora said brightly, noticing his best friend. "Where'd Axel go?"

"He… I think he got a phone call," Riku said, looking away evasively. Roxas' estimate of Axel possibly sustaining bodily harm got kicked up a few notches. Probably somewhere tender, to boot. He wasn't terribly worried. Axel was enough of a fighter that he probably saw whatever it was coming fast enough to mitigate the damage.

"We can start choosing characters without him, I guess." Sora switched the TV on, the Wii having also survived the impromptu pillow fight.

Riku sat on the only remaining space on the couch that Roxas hadn't sprawled over. Blinking, Roxas found his head very nearly touching Riku's thigh and looking up at the other's smooth jaw through his mussed blonde hair. He frowned and immediately straightened up, uncomfortable with the implied intimacy.

"Dibs on Dante," Axel drawled, appearing from the shadowy entranceway of the living room and naming a character from the game. Walking over, he plopping himself in the space on the sofa that Roxas had freed up. He also managed to oh-so-accidentally press his thigh to Riku's in the process. Clearly, his 'phone call' was done. Riku looked a little like he wanted to say something about personal space, but said nothing. He did look a little uncomfortable at the way Axel's hips would brush against him, every now and then, though.

Roxas decided that Axel must be trying the 'awaken their inner homosexuality' approach. Via physical contact. If he weren't careful, though, he'd probably end up scarring Riku before making out with him.

The redhead must have picked up on the fact. Aside from the touches and a few lingering glances there was hardly any sign that Axel was interested in Riku anymore. He was taking it slow. Riku _was_ younger than his usual targets.

Concentrating on his character on-screen, Roxas left Axel to it before Sora could tip his character over the edge of the ring. He'd never hear the end of it he lost that easily.

--

After twenty matches and almost as many rematches, the tournament finally ended with a showdown between Riku and Axel. Both of them had been pretty into it, calling out mocking retorts as their characters duked it out on the screen. Axel won by a hairsbreadth. By the somewhat indignant look on Riku's face and the little blush on his neck, though, Roxas suspected Axel had cheated in some unmentionable way. But there were no rematches.

With the sun already nearly set, the two finalists left soon after that. Axel claimed to have a school-related errand. Riku had gone quiet, saying something about his house.

Kicking his feet against the kitchen table idly, Roxas sorted through the flyers of take out that he and Sora had collected over the years. Neither of them could cook, or really ever learned how. Most days, their parents left them food to heat up. Today, though, they were in some jungle country for work and the boys were left to fend for themselves.

Sora was on the chair to his right, leafing through another sheaf. "What do you think? I kinda feel like burgers tonight." Sora tapped a worn Burger King flyer. "And onion rings- we haven't had any in forever!"

"We haven't had any in two weeks, you mean," Roxas scoffed, but he picked the phone up anyway. Burgers and fries made for minimal clean up, and he felt like having one, anyway. As he waited for the call to get picked up, he noticed Sora staring out the window strangely.

"What's up?"

"Nothing," Sora said quickly, "…Don't you think Riku and Axel were a little odd, today?"

Roxas made a noncommittal sound and started talking to the Burger King employee who answered the phone. Axel must have been bad if even Sora noticed it. The brunette tended to focus more on what was immediately at hand than take the time to observe the people around him. Although, Roxas amended, the headlong rush into things hadn't been occurring nearly as often, recently. Maybe hanging out with Kairi and Riku was rubbing off on his brother.

--

Someone called just as he was getting ready for bed, the haunting ring tone that his friends said always sounded a little sad permeating the air. Roxas had kept the song all the same. It reminded him of afternoons and dying sunset light. He finished pulling on his favorite oversized sleep shirt, white with cloud gray stars that bled into the sleeves and walked over to the bedside table.

He reached his phone before it vibrated off the bed stand and flipped it open, sparing a glance for the caller ID. Axel. Why was he not surprised? He was probably going to change his mind about Riku or going to tell him about an upcoming party (that Roxas would inevitably decline). He pressed the 'accept' button, leaning against the beech headboard and crossing his legs underneath him.

"Yeah?"

"I think I'm going to have to get a little serious."

Brow furrowing, Roxas let out an incredulous sound. "You mean with Riku?"

"Yep. Pull out all stops, the big guns, move mountains, paint a rainbow on every damn room in his house if I have to, and…"

"Jump his bones?" Roxas suggested, amused at the overdramatic tone Axel was using.

"That too. But he's pricklier than one of Larxene's chokers. Not that it doesn't have it's own appeal."

"Looks like it. You're really going to paint rainbows to make him gay?"

"Can't hurt. I still don't know a damn thing besides what I got from Sora. He could get it up for Bonobo monkeys, for all I know."

"Wouldn't be that hard for you to get into the right habits, then."

"Or he could be an asexual, slightly intelligent bacterium, like you."

"I went out with Olette, in case you don't remember."

"For six days. And in all that time, all you did was kiss her cheek and hold hands. Twice."

"Not everyone dives into bed at the drop of a hat, Axel."

"Everyone doesn't know what they're missing."

"That's obviously why you need to pull out all the stops to convince Riku."

"It's for a good cause."

"I didn't know 'good cause' even existed in your vocabulary."

"Getting a boyfriend is always good," the redhead replied, tone airy, even from the overlaid mechanical tone of the phone. Something about the way he said 'boyfriend' made Roxas stop, though. Axel sounded like he meant it differently from usual.

"Even if you're probably going to hop to the next one soon after?"

"I told you: this time's special." There was a pause and then, "got to go. Later, Rox." Then, the call ended, leaving Roxas to stare at it, perplexed.

If he hadn't known better, he'd say it hadn't been his best friend saying that. But then, maybe even firebrands like Axel wanted a little stability, after a while. He supposed it would be good for Axel if he did end up staying with one person for a while. He had made plenty of enemies and his loose lifestyle held him completely unaccountable to anyone. Just the way he liked it. Up until now, it seemed. Riku was the steady sort, as far as he could tell. But the idea that Riku could tame his best friend was almost laughable. If you weren't a friend and didn't hold your own, Axel would walk all over you.

Sighing, Roxas placed the phone back on the bedside table and shoved himself feet-first under the comforter, staring at the patch of star-dotted night he could see from his window. He supposed he could help. But the jumble of events today made him wonder exactly why Axel thought this time was special—or why Riku in particular had caused it.

It was strange, really. Despite having known Riku distantly since Sora had first come in with him, dirty and perfectly happy about it, Roxas had never really interacted with him. He had never thought about him beyond the fact that he was Sora's best friend and one of the school golden boys. That someone could be right under your nose and yet a stranger... Was that just how the world worked?

So many questions were still unanswered by the time Roxas fell asleep in the quiet night.

**Notes:**

The song Sora sings is a Morning Musume song- guaranteed to be so hyper it'll make you see double. Hey, it's a band with cute girls and hyper music, why wouldn't Sora like it?

Bonobo monkeys look like small chimpanzees and are very, very sexual. They have been described as rubbing genitals in order to say 'hello'.

10 pages look really short, but I'm kinda happy just making it this far. I'm more or less trying to see how I am at the chaptered fic HS AU thing. I have a rough outline and stuff, and some parts later on were very fun to write. I'm struggling a little with characterization, but otherwise, I guess I'm pretty pleased about the whole thing:P The much funner chapters are up ahead. This one was a bit of a strain, I admit.

Ah, the game, as far as I know, does not exist. It's a collage of other games. And but over where I am, Burger King deliveries existed at one point.


	2. Roxas Recons

**Nobody's Fool**

Fantacination

**Trick II**

**Roxas does Recon.**

--

By stairs aftr skul. **(;w;)**

Roxas deleted the message and locked his cell phone's keypad, slipping it into his jeans. He'd almost gotten in trouble in physics when his phone beeped in the middle of a lecture. The blonde had forgotten to put it in silent mode and it had taken him some careful acting to get out of the professor's mad rampage afterwards. Thankfully, everybody had been so far into post-torque (chapter 6) stupor that they hadn't even noticed where the sound was coming from. The bell had rung and the teacher had been forced to let them all go.

Trust Axel to get him into trouble without actually being there.

Roxas took out a couple of books from his locker, sparing a glance for the stickers that lined the inside of the cubby, evidence of past generations of bored teenagers. He'd considered masking it all with a cheap poster but the last thing he needed was his friends teasing him about a band he didn't even really like that much.

Although… sometimes he wondered if he _should_ personalize it. Something like a mark. To prove Someone had been there…

Making a face at the strange thought, Roxas hefted his school bag up and over a shoulder, kicking the locker closed. He didn't bother with the small brass padlock that dangled off. The lock was so cheap that it was really more for show than anything else. Roxas had lost the key a long time ago and had had absolutely no problem twisting it off, since (whenever he actually had something of worth in there to lock).

About four feet down the hall, Hayner was fighting with his locker- again. He'd been at it for about ten minutes and Roxas predicted that Pence would be along in a bit to remind him what the combination was.

"Hey, Hayner, I'm going, ok? Axel said he wanted to meet up for something."

"Huh? Yeah, sure," Hayner grunted, twisting the locker handle. Miraculously, the scrawny bit of metal had yet to come off in his hand. "This damn piece of crap still won't open and it's already three weeks into the sem!"

"There's always Pence, right?" Roxas grinned.

Predictably, Hayner glared at him. "Shut up, you."

Smiling, Roxas ducked under Wakka wrestling with a bunch of helium balloons and headed for the school entrance.

Destiny High was actually part of a compound, the Destiny Island Schools, all of which were state-owned and just as inventively named. The architect had built it so that on a map, the schools would form a triad, with a school at each point of the triangle. But as time went on, the schools, particularly the university one had expanded, such that the college buildings were a stone's throw away from the main entrance of Destiny High. It was possible to walk over to either campus during a fifteen minute break if you felt like having a smoke with the university crowd. Or vice versa. Maybe that was why Roxas and Axel had stayed friends.

_Speak of the devil..._ At least he was on time.

Axel perched on a nearby railing, dressed in a cropped black leather jacket with some bright neon shirt underneath. He had fishnet gloves on his hands and his tight pants were an old-blood red. Roxas shook his head. This was one of Axel's milder looks, but it was uncanny how only Axel could make the outfit_ work_ as well as it did.

"One of these days, you'll get picked up by dirty businessmen on your way home," Roxas told him.

"I'm not responsible for your wet dreams, Roxas." Axel grinned, ignoring the glare Roxas shot at him and lighting a cigarette- but didn't put it in his mouth. "Some shit came up with the university board, it looks like I won't be around from now 'till Monday."

"The whole weekend? Must be some field trip." Roxas unshouldered his bag. This had the looks of a long conversation and he didn't want to have to carry his five-kilogram calculus textbook for it.

"Yeah, we're going to learn the finer arts of blowing people up-- straight at the source. The only problem is, I can't leave my Rikucinno alone, now can I?" Weird names had always been Axel's bad habit. On the other hand. the all too familiar lilt in Axel's voice made him a little nervous.

"You can. Not like he's gonna run off with Leon the Emostick anyway."

"Leon the Emostick is too preoccupied with Spiky Sagpants to care," Axel drawled. "No, can you imagine what fiends would be more than happy for a bit of Riku-ass?" the redhead made a face "I think I even caught your principal checking him out." The mention of Principle Xemnas made Roxas blanch.

"Too much information, Axel."

"Either way," Axel turned and laid a hand on Roxas' shoulder, "you have to keep him busy and remind him of me. Maybe get a little info, that sort of thing."

Roxas' jaw dropped. "What??"

"Hey, nothing fancy, just stick to him like glue and see if you can work my awesome self into the conversation every now and then. You're his friend's brother, can't be that hard to hang out with your Hyperball of a brother."

Roxas was sorely tempted to throw his calculus text at him. Maybe something would even get in that thick head of his. "No, sorry, _not_ doing."

"Nuh-uh, I have collateral," Axel wagged a hand at him, the lit cigarette in his hand scattering ash and his mouth quirked up with the delight of a poker player with an ace or four. "And you really don't want me to say it here, now, where _anyone_ can hear it, do you?"

Roxas kicked him. "_Fine_, you bastard."

"Good answer," Axel grinned. "'sides it's only Friday and a weekend, how hard can it be?"

--

Very hard. As Roxas soon found out.

It was lunch break the next day and he had no idea where his brother or his brother's best friend was. Sora had left before him that morning, and Roxas hadn't seen a tip of super-gelled brown hair, since last night (excluding, possibly, Leon, but that was debatable. Half the girls still believed it was just conditioner). Perplexed, the blonde teen surveyed the crowd of chattering teens, pushing past a few to get to a relatively open spot. You'd think it'd be easy enough to find a spiky-haired idiot brother, but Sora usually had tons of people around him to begin with, practically a swamp of an adoring mob. It didn't help that he was more active than your average double-time cheerleader sans miniskirt.

Spotting a flash of chain and bright yellow shoes somewhere in the crowd, Roxas moved after it. "Sora, hey Sora!" he called out, wading through the hallway crowd.

"Are you looking for Sora?" A voice said behind him, tapping his shoulder.

"No, moron, I'm looking for the principal's loo." The blonde turned, irate. He'd lost sight of the chain he'd spotted, and had…

Long silver hair and clear turquoise eyes.

Guess he didn't have to look for Sora anymore, then. Riku stood before him in a black sleeveless shirt and loose gray denim pants, bright yellow and white rubber bracelets around his wrists. He had his hair twisted up behind him in a knot, probably from the last sport he'd been playing. Soccer, maybe, or basketball, Roxas wasn't sure which Riku played.

Riku smiled, a little. "He skipped math to go to the clinic. He _said_ he had a cold."

"…Figures. Like Sora doesn't know idiots don't catch colds." Roxas said with the long-suffering air of a brother. Riku laughed. It was actually a more pleasant sound than he thought it would be. Which was mildly disturbing. Roxas had simply taken it for granted that all jocks laughed like a gorilla on protein bar. Granted, Riku wasn't your typical jock. Or, Roxas realized, anything, for that matter.

"Why were you looking for Sora?"

"Uh, he borrowed my calculator. Need it for the next class." Roxas said hastily. That was true. Except, he could borrow one off his seatmate, Hayner. Hayner never did anything in that class except see how many spitballs he could stick to Seifer's beanie before the other noticed.

Riku rummaged around his bag. "You can borrow mine. Our class is done. You can just give it back, later."

He put a black scientific calculator in the younger boy's hands, the front of it neatly labeled with 'Riku Larenthe' in bold off-white letters that looked like they'd been drawn on with correction fluid some time back.

"Thanks…" Roxas felt strangely guilty, now. He shooed that thought away. He had a promise to keep. "Have you had lunch yet?"

"Nope. Class just got out." Riku shook his head, a few wispy strands of hair falling to frame his face.

"You want to grab something at the caf, then?" Shrugging nonchalantly, Roxas hoped it didn't sound as awkward as he felt.

After a moment's pause, Riku nodded. "Sure, why not?" He started to head for the cafeteria.

Up until that moment, the blonde had been completely unaware of his surroundings. But it occurred to him that there was now a much wider space around them than a few minutes ago, and there were a few groups here and there who lingered, staring. _Not at me,_ Roxas thought, _at _**Riku**. They had the look of dumbstruck sheep at spring grass.

Probably because they had wet dreams about him every night or something like that. And the other boy seemed more or less aware of it. Riku was leaning just a little back, a posture that exuded cockiness. Almost like Axel's but not quite. Sighing inwardly, Roxas followed Riku's lead. _Axel's going to owe me big after this. _

Lunch wasn't as bad as he predicted. Most of his friends didn't have class until the afternoon, so he'd grown accustomed to eating by himself (usually on the rooftop or out in the courtyard where there were less people). Sitting with someone was almost nice. Riku wasn't chatty, but it wasn't uncomfortable.

"Hi, Riku. Want to join us?" A girl in a skimpy shock-pink outfit seated herself at the table, crossing her arms and leaning heavily to emphasize her bosom (or, as Roxas noted, lack of it).

Riku ignored her.

"I promise it'll be fun- the girls and me know how to treat a guy right."

She probably rehearsed that spiel. Roxas winced. He had to be hanging out too much with Axel to even think that. Rolling his eyes, he settled back with his beef sandwich to watch Riku's reaction. Axel's comment on Riku getting it up for monkeys was still fresh in his mind.

"Not interested, Drizella." Riku took a sip of Sprite, exhaling a little after gulping. Was it just Roxas or did the girl look like she was swooning? Whatever it was, Roxas found himself smiling into his sandwich.

"Aw, but, Riku, you never have any fun with us," she whined nasally.

"Roxas, didn't you have a class after this? We better hurry up."

"Uh, sure-" Before Roxas could say anything else, Riku stood up, grabbing the blonde's wrist, and striding out of the room. It was a good thing they were already near the exit. He'd hate to think what kind of fuss an exit like that might raise. Drizella was left gaping after them, a blank pidgeon-like look across her heavily made-up face.

They made it all the way to the courtyard before Roxas pulled back, digging his heels into the grass. "Let go." He didn't appreciate being manhandled. Even if the person was his brother's best friend _and _his best friend's target.

Riku let go. He didn't look too happy about things either. "Sorry about that. They don't know how to take no for an answer."

"Most guys would be glad to have their own personal harem," Roxas replied.

"Not that one. Did you even look at them? They're like harpies."

"So you wouldn't mind if they were angels? Or are girls just not your thing?"

Stiffening, Riku looked at him oddly. "If you weren't my best friend's brother, you know I'd punch you for that, right?"

"Too bad, isn't it? Sensitive topic? " He was definitely picking up too much Axel.

"You try getting asked about your orientation every other minute and see how pleasant you are afterwards." Riku sifted one hand through his hair, now loose from its earlier tie and leaned against a tree. "It's not like I care what person I like as long as I know it's real."

Roxas refrained from rolling his eyes. So Riku was _that _type. The whole 'love is the only thing that matters' shtick. He was willing to bet that it mattered to most people whether or not there was a dick rubbing against their stomach.

Well he wasn't complaining. It was better than an outright denial. Roxas mentally patted himself on the back for obtaining the information and changed the topic. "What class do you have next?"

"Biology with Balltester." Riku made a face.

"Sucks to be you," Roxas commented without skipping a beat. That earned him a glare and two smiles, one of them his own.

They spent the rest of the break making small talk. Roxas touched on Axel a time or two, but the vein didn't get very deep before Riku changed the subject. The next bell rang before Roxas knew he'd been talking a lot more about himself and Sora then he had in a long time.

--

Roxas slipped into his chair next to Hayner with moments to spare. The sandy-haired boy nodded at him, his straw already out and a piece of paper already shredded, ready for ammunition.

He'd be getting away with it, too.

The teacher for this class was a peppy woman, but a little scatter-brained when she wasn't solving problems. As a result, she could never remember a single student's name and couldn't discipline accordingly. She was probably a miracle of the math. Or a freak of nature. Either way, Roxas gladly welcomed the anonymity in his seat. He took out his notebook and a pen, hesitating before he set out Riku's black calculator. It sat on his desk, completely alien.

"Is that new?" Hayner had looked over, curious.

"No. Someone lent it to me."

"Ooh, a girl?" Hayner asked, his eyes half-lidded and his voice dropping low like it was a secret rather than a shot in the dark. He elbowed Roxas a little, making a grab for the calculator. Then he stopped.

"Riku? _That_ Riku?" Hayner was dumbstruck and a little _too_ loud. A few heads swung their way, interested. A girl had even stopped painting her nails orange and yellow.

"Yes, dork. He's my brother's best friend." Roxas deadpanned, hoping his face wasn't flushed with guilt. Why was he embarrassed anyway?

Hayner shot him a sidelong glance. "I don't know, Rox, doesn't that seem a little… weird?"

"Who cares. I just need the calculator."

But even after Hayner was distracted by his favorite calculus past time ("it's called Spit the Seifer!"), Roxas couldn't shake the feeling that his friend hadn't believed him.

--

"Ah, look, it's snowing."

Roxas looked up from his sketchpad, eyes focusing on the wall-long windows on the west side of the art room. The sky had been cloudy all day, and now the weather had finally set in. Small flakes of crisp white snow were falling on the dark ground, some of it melting before being immediately replaced by more. In the gray not-light of the blotted sky, the cascade was beautiful.

"Yeah…" he breathed.

Namine, the blonde girl who sat beside him, laughed quietly. "You almost look like you're in love, Roxas."

That brought him out of it. Roxas turned to look at her, pristine as usual in a white blazer top and a neat skirt that ended a little below the knees. "Are you really going to keep saying things like that until the sem ends?"

Namine shrugged, smiling secretively as she brushed a couple more strokes across her artwork (it looked like a bird of some kind, the plumage silver, and the eyes very bright).

"We can't help but be curious. It's not like you ever show any interest in anyone or anything," Kairi piped up from her corner. She was sitting directly opposite Namine on the long table, her sketch was half-done, something rosy and colorful, the eyes large and lapis lazuli.

"I'm just not interested in anyone right now."

"Oh, everyone's always interested in something," Namine said matter-of-factly. She sometimes had this air of knowingness, like she knew the secrets of the world. Olette sometimes jokingly called her the Witch because of that uncanny ability. "There's a lot to know."

Namine added a few finishing touches on her bird, adding a gem-like glow to the otherwise dull eyes that reminded Roxas of the sea.

"Kairi, did you see Sora, earlier? I heard he went to the clinic." Roxas asked, suddenly.

"Yeah, he was… how did you know? Twin instinct?" Kairi teased. "He's fine, of course. The idiot. Just because the nurse has a soft spot for his smile, he abuses it terribly." Kairi smiled fondly.

"Riku told me." Roxas said, going back to his sketch. Kairi nodded and scooted back to her seat when the teacher passed by to eye them all critically. Miss Eiko (never by her last name) was usually a laid back sort of young woman, but she insisted that all regular drawing plates should be completed during art time.

"Riku?" Namine prompted, a little after the woman had left, large yellow ribbon trailing behind. Roxas nodded. "We bumped into each other a little before lunch."

"And you guys had lunch together?" Namine asked, interested.

"Yeah…?" It took Roxas a few moments to catch onto the subtly insinuating tone. He shook his head. "No, not like that!" He didn't even swing that way.

"Axel asked me to help him get information and stuff." _Like babysitting from other pedo-perverts._

"Ah." Namine nodded slowly but the look she gave him had the exact same nuance as the one Hayner had given him two periods earlier. Frowning, Roxas returned to his sketch, sketching a few lines before realizing that he still had no idea what he was going to draw.

--

**Knock. Knock. Knock.**

"I'll get it," Roxas called over his shoulder to nobody in particular, jamming his feet into his pale winter boots. He paused to get his parka on properly and reached for the door. Whoever was on the other side was knocking again.

He and Sora had arrived home a couple of hours ago. It turned out Sora did have a slight cold—from the walk home. Sighing, Roxas had sent him to nap on the couch while he took care of the grocery list their mother had left earlier that morning (clipped to the fridge by a huge smiley magnet).

"I'm coming already, geeze," he muttered under his breath. Annoyed, he twisted the lock to the side and jerked the door open.

"R-Roxas?"

Riku stood on their doorstep, barely clothed for the weather in a thick denim jacket over his usual clothes. His lips were pale and his cheeks were pink from the cold. There was no telling how long he'd been outside or how far he'd walked from his house.

"Get inside." Roxas' tone was brusque as he stepped back holding the door wide open. A few flakes of snow blew in, melting on the pale mocha tiles. Riku went inside, leaning against the mirrorless wall next to the doorway and still shivering. Even if he was hiding it pretty well. Something about the way his mouth moved even though he wasn't talking betrayed his state.

"Is-s Sora home?" Riku asked, finally.

"Yeah, he's knocked out on the couch," Roxas replied, winding his scarf about him. It was a present from some great aunt and was several yards too long. (She must have thought she had a giraffe hybrid for a great nephew. When asked, Dad said she lived in an abandoned temple with big yellow birds. )

"Oh… where are you going?"

"Out," Roxas said briefly, vaguely irritated at Riku for some reason. "You can sit somewhere inside. Sora will wake up when it's dinner time."

"Is that a grocery list?"

_What, this? It's my holy bandage. It delivers perfectly timed electrical shocks to morons._

"Yeah. I'm going out to do them," Roxas said grudgingly, unhooking a set of keys from the special cubby next to the door, a well-honed reflex, and stepped out.

"I'll come with you. I can carry stuff." Riku shuffled. _Shuffled_. It was almost shy.

"What, and freeze your fingers off on the paper bags? No thanks." Roxas frowned. Riku wasn't acting quite right. He wasn't eager to please. Not really obviously anyway. And he had no reason to accompany his best friend's twin brother.

He looked at him, long and hard. Riku was looking at the ornamented nest Roxas' mother had set up (for family spirit), possibly he was reading the little names on the eggs that his mother had painted on, dotting liberally with small pink hearts.

Somehow, Roxas doubted it.

He paused and turned, taking off the too-long scarf and handing it over to Riku.

"Whatever. Let's go."

Riku's hands were large and ice cold, even through the warm knitted wool.

--

The walk to the grocery wasn't that long, to be honest. They didn't live that far from the heart of town. And the simple stroll was oddly relaxing. Roxas found his eyes wandering, absent-mindedly staring at children running around a post, the way the slight wind carried the (_my_) scarf over Riku's shoulder, or the way his breath puffed up in small clouds.

Once they got the store, he picked up a large basket and started doing the rounds. Riku trailed a little behind him. When he turned his head, Roxas caught him looking blankly at a selection of pickled prunes for several minutes before taking a pack of mint he'd been holding since aisle 3 and putting it on the shelf beside the prunes.

Weird, but he chalked it up to some sort of Riku-ritual. Maybe his family had a different grocery catalogue from The Item Shop (store owners in this area weren't all that creative either).

Roxas was just about to put some custard puddings into the basket when Riku decided he was going to have a long, meaningful, and telepathic conversation with a pat of butter wrapped in cow-pattern foil.

A couple of female clerks were staring at him in almost the same manner. It was kind of disturbing. (He didn't know how to tell Axel his Rikuccino was in love with a dairy product, really.)

Sighing loudly, Roxas grabbed Riku's arm. Riku jolted, like one pulled from a dream. _Or_, Roxas amended, _a nightmare._

"I don't know what you're thinking of, but if you aren't going to help, just go home." Riku flinched visibly. And for a moment, Roxas felt inexplicably guilty. He pushed that thought away. Riku could emotasm about whatever it was with Sora back home, couldn't he?

"I'm…sorry." Riku shook his head and slipped his arm through the basket loops that were still on the blonde's arm, hooking and sliding it off easily. The basket wasn't exactly _light_. Roxas decided that it was unfair that someone only (barely) a year older than him had such a well-defined physique. Riku's arm, when it brushed against his, was solid muscle with relatively soft skin.

"Are we getting anything else?" Riku asked, looking around like he had no idea how he'd come to be there. The butter he'd previously been philosophizing with was set down and his eyes fell to Roxas'.

"…There's," Roxas paused looking at the strip of paper in his hand. There wasn't anything left on the list. Just dinner. Roxas made a face. Their parents had insisted they eat something mildly healthy instead of the usual take out tonight. Roxas knew for a fact that neither he nor Sora could cook.

"Microwavable dinners. Come on," Roxas said, beckoning to Riku slightly as he headed for the long white row of freezers where their dinner awaited.

He examined most of the aisle in one long look, grabbing what looked like it might be decent for him and Sora. Then he turned to Riku, pausing. "What do you want?"

"I'm not hungry." The silver haired teen's eyes looked hazy again. Roxas was sorely tempted to kick him, just a little. Sora and Axel wouldn't mind, right?

"You know better than that. Sora will force-feed you stuff as soon as he wakes up. You won't like what he makes." He did some recalculating in his head, adding up the total bill. Their mother had left a decent sum. Finally, Roxas returned the boxes he'd taken and took two frozen pizzas from another freezer.

"These will do." He slipped the packages into the large basket and ushered Riku towards the cashier, his hands pushing at his shoulder blades. "If I wanted a grocery cart, I'd have gotten one with _wheels_," he said sharply, not really caring if Riku heard him or not.

Riku must have heard because he laughed, suddenly. A small one, barely more than a chuckle, but loud enough to startle Roxas from pushing against the older boy's back. Turning his head, Riku smiled at him briefly and started walking more like he was a person than a zombie.

Well, that made things a bit easier. Blinking, Roxas stared after him, not quite sure why his stomach felt funny. He hoped the pizza turned out edible. Quickening his pace, Roxas caught up before Riku reached the cashier.

--

Scowling at the microwave probably wouldn't make it work, but it wouldn't be because Roxas hadn't tried. The night felt much too long, all of the sudden. And a hungry boy was a grumpy one.

Sora was still blissfully, ignorantly, asleep on the couch (he wouldn't be roused until dinner time) and Riku was sitting in the kitchen, leaning against a counter. He looked almost normal, now.

"Dammit, it was working fine this morning!" Roxas pushed a few random buttons, hoping something would work.

"Uh, Roxas…"

"Not now, prettyboy," Roxas growled.

"You're not exactly…" Riku sounded amused. Well haha. Lucky him.

"The only thing I'm interested in right now is dinner."

"Oven."

"What?"

"Oven," Riku repeated, pointing to the intimidating appliance directly below the microwave. "There are directions here for making it in the oven." He waved the package, pointing at a set of instructions.

"I know that," Roxas said with a sigh. He just tried to have nothing to do with the oven. The Over didn't like Roxas and Roxas didn't like The Oven.

"I can do it, if you want," the older teen offered, standing up straight.

"Do you even know how?" Roxas demanded.

Shrugging, Riku unwrapped the frozen dough from the cardboard package. "How hard can it be? Do you want dinner or not?"

Roxas stepped back obediently and watched Riku fiddle with the oven. He hoped best friends didn't take after each other too much. Sora wasn't very good with knobs and dials.

Riku was still in his denim jacket, even though the house was much warmer than streets outside. It was like he didn't feel the weather or temperature at all. He let his mind wander from there.

The trip back had been uneventful. Riku had offered to carry all the groceries only to be rebuffed. Their parents were clear on hospitality, particularly with someone like Riku who had been Sora's best friend since. .. well, as long as they could all remember.

"Riku, when did Sora meet you?"

There was a rustle and Riku threw the crumpled plastic that had encased the pizza away. "About the same time we met. Wasn't that kindergarten?"

"We…?"

Riku stood up, still facing away so Roxas couldn't see anything but the way his hair moved and fell around him. "Yeah, back then, we used to play together a lot. But you got sick for a while and started attending that other school, right?"

Roxas did remember getting sick for months. His parents had insisted on transferring him to the nearer Twilight Elementary, for a while. That was where he'd met his friends: Hayner, Pence, and Olette. Then they'd graduated into high school and he and Sora had started going to the same one again: Destiny High.

But… he couldn't remember meeting Riku before he'd started coming to their house. His long-term memory hadn't always been the greatest, admittedly. He could barely remember anything about kindergarten now that he was sixteen.

"Oh," Roxas said eloquently.

Done with the oven, Riku turned back and perched on the counter again, close enough that Roxas could feel his warmth. "Yeah, you were fierce, even then, did you know?"

"Did I scare you?" The blue-eyed boy's tone was very dry.

There was a small sound that Roxas suspected was Riku's laugh, hastily hidden in a cough. "Nah, all the parents thought you were cuter that way. Sora didn't mind most of the attention, though."

Roxas scowled.

Being fraternal twins, Sora and Roxas didn't seem to share a lot in common at first glance. Their hair was drastically different. As were their personalities and sense of style. But they'd inherited the same face and eyes from their mother; the same willow slender build.

They'd also inherited a certain inability to scowl and look like they meant it. It was Roxas and Sora's long-suffered bane.

"Well what about you? You would have looked like a girl, then. What did they do to you?"

"I didn't get away scot-free, if that's what you mean." Riku's mouth quirked up. Roxas blinked and realized he _did_ remember something. A very pretty child, snow-white hair, so pale that it looked ghostly. And the brightest sea-green eyes in the room. The angle was a little strange, though, and the childish figure of Riku was dirty. Roxas realized it was because he was lying down in the dirt beside him, looking up and…laughing?

"Riku? Whatcha doin' here?" Sora yawned and walked into the kitchen, zeroing in on the smell of pizza that was starting to waft warmly from the oven. "Didn't you get pulled out of class around fifth period?"

"I… there was trouble," Riku said quietly, a shadow falling over his eyes.

Sora stopped mid-stretch, his lips pulling down into a frown. "Riku?" He crossed over to where the older teen was, laying a hand on his shoulder. Riku seemed startled at the gesture, for all that he and Sora had always had a semi-intimate relationship.

"Why don't you guys wait in the living room?" Roxas suggested mildly. "I can watch the pizza." He'd unplug The Oven if he had to. Something was up with Riku and Sora was the best candidate to handle it. Probably. And he probably didn't need to hear any of what would be coming after this, either. Reminding himself that it was none of his business, the blonde teen pointed a thumb out of the kitchen.

Nodding, Sora flashed him a small smile and went back out. Riku followed soon after, brushing a little against a chair and pulling away as though burned. Roxas blinked but said nothing.

It had been so quiet after that that when The Oven finally rang to signal the pizza was done, the sound was almost too loud. Roxas was sitting at the counter, his face propped up on his folded arms, legs crossed around the stool. He leapt off when the timer rang, skidding a little on the tiled floor to reach The Oven. The last thing he wanted was burnt pizza for dinner. Grabbing the oven mitts (pink, flowery, manlier than an energy drink ad) off the rack, he opened the door and took the tray out. It was ok, it wasn't burnt. Roxas let out a sigh of relief.

"Maybe I don't understand. It's the _right_ thing!" Sora proclaimed loudly.

Roxas set the tray carefully down on the countertop and gingerly poked a finger at the piping hot dough, taking his hand away hastily when he got burned.

"It wouldn't _work_."

Sticking the burnt finger into his mouth, Roxas pretended he had no ears. Some of the cheese had gotten stuck to his finger, salty-sweet in his mouth, with a hint of tomato and basil. It was pretty good, actually. His stomach growled a little in happy anticipation.

"You haven't even_tried_." Their voices ebbed back into a soft murmur and after a few minutes, Sora sighed dramatically and went out of the living room, his steps loud.

He peeked his spiky brunette head into the kitchen. "Rox, Riku's staying over, ok? I'm gonna go get the sleeping bag out of the attic." There was absolutely no sign. no trace, that he had been just about arguing with his best friend, except for a faint distractedness in Sora's eyes, like he was still thinking, worried.

"Sure. The pizza's ready, by the way." Roxas indicated the tray sitting on the counter, gleaming rich cheesy goodness under the kitchen's fluorescent lights. Sora's face brightened almost immediately.

"Awesome, I'll be right back down!" Grinning, the brunette headed back up the stairs, making a racket just like he always did.

It would take Sora ten minutes to find out where the sleeping bags were, and maybe ten more after that to drag it out of the attic and into his room. Setting it up would take a few more. The sleeping bags their parents had bought whimsically one summer vacation ("It'll be fun to go camping!") were bargain bin rejects, probably vexing generations of past families with inconvenience. Roxas estimated he'd have a little under half an hour.

Heading to the cupboard next to the fridge, he took out a small white plastic box with a red cross emblazoned at its very center. Before he could change his mind, Roxas walked into the living room.

Riku was sitting on the couch, leaning back so far that he was curved against the back of the sofa, one arm covering his eyes, like he was blinded by an invisible sun. Roxas snorted at the image and sat down on the other end of the couch.

"You should probably take care of things before Sora gets back," the blonde informed him.

The older teen sat up immediately, "Roxas?"

In reply, Roxas pushed the ivory first aid kit across the couch. "I don't know exactly what you've got under that jacket, but you can't keep it on forever. Treat it before Sora finds out."

"I don't-" the other boy began.

"Cut the crap, Riku," Roxas interrupted pleasantly. "You can get it wrapped up now or you can deal with Sora fussing at you later."

Riku's expression went carefully blank. "How did you know?"

"You've been jumpy all afternoon." Briskly, Roxas opened the first aid kit. If Riku wasn't going to do anything, he might as well take responsibility now that he'd poked his nose in this far. "You don't have a lot of time to do this, you know."

Wordlessly, Riku shrugged out of his denim jacket, taking care over his right shoulder. A good-sized bruise blossomed on the pale skin there, purpling like a stormy night aurora. But that didn't seem to be enough to warrant the earlier reaction. Roxas frowned. Then he realized Riku was unzipping his shirt Almost hesitantly, he pulled the black material aside, revealing a pale, well-defined torso.

Roxas blinked. There were two more bruises, angrier and larger than the one on his shoulder. One lay a little down and off-center from the ridge of his collar bone, the other was on his side, towards the back, an awkward position Riku couldn't easily see. That would explain how the bump must have been painful.

"…Did you cough up blood?"

It was too bad that he hadn't thought to bring an ice pack… but that would take too long and Sora would notice for sure. Then again, Riku had been walking out in snow weather in nothing but a thick denim jacket over regular clothes. If that wasn't cooling down, Roxas didn't know what was. He'd just have to make do.

Riku seemed startled. "No, none. I know how to protect myself…"

So there probably wasn't internal organ bleeding or broken bones. Roxas nodded and selected an amber bottle from the kit. Briskly, he scooted over on the couch to get better access to the bruises. "This stuff will sting," he said briefly before dabbing some of the ointment onto a piece of cotton. The ointment would help the bruise fade faster and had a mild anesthesia among others for the throbbing.

With brisk, efficient strokes, he dabbed the ointment onto the side-bruise, spreading it evenly. Riku's skin was warm, he noted absently, and his warm breath fanned a little through Roxas' hair. His fingers seemed all too cold by contrast.

Brushing that thought away, Roxas handed Riku the cotton. "You can do the others while I cover this up."

Taking a large square of gauze (it didn't matter what, so long as it made sure the ointment didn't get rubbed off, he reasoned), Roxas stuck it onto the bruise with some medical tape. Spreading the tape to keep the gauze on only reminded him that his own fingers were cold and that Riku's skin was inexplicably soft. The thought was unsettling. As hurriedly as he could without seeming to be, the blonde handed the rest of the kit to Riku and stood up.

"Take care of the rest. I'll go slice up the pizza." Turning, Roxas made for the door.

"…You're not going to ask?" Riku's voice was quiet, bland and completely unreadable.

Roxas stopped.

"No, I won't ask."

Just before he left, Roxas thought he heard Riku utter a soft "thank you."

--

**Author's Ramble:**

Ack, this took a whole lot longer than I thought it would. Between school and personal matters, I've been unable to write a whole lot but hey, this thing is a full **6 pages ** more than the last chapter. I think that's a bit of an accomplishment for me. XD; To write better; write more, or something like that The quality might have suffered a bit for it, true, but that's why I'm in-training. Oh, and I'm sure there are a ton of little mistakes around and stuff I'll want to change when I'm not lacking in sleep, but eh, feel free to point them out and at least the chapter's out before I forget, yes?

And yes, this is the point where the RikuRokuRiku starts to come in (it's gonna be an 8 chaptered fic at most) Roxas doesn't really know it yet, though. Axel, meantime, is living it up scaring the people at the other city they had a field trip to. Expect an update about that next chapter Who knows what Axel's going to get for souvenirs.

Also, I forgot a couple of important things:

Many thanks to Zebbie and SKF/Chiaroscuro for betaing the past chapter and this one for me.

Nope, no refs, aren't you all happy? Well, aside from the Drizella thing. (Points if you know who it is? She doesn't actually like pink.) Also, I walked past a burger king van-thing last week and it had a telephone number for deliveries. IT EXISTS, LADIES AND MAYBE GENTLEMEN. XD;

**Tell me what you think?** I'm thinking of setting a mark of sorts for the next chapter: Uhm, say 10 more reviews/comments? (That should give me plenty of time for the next chapter. XD)


	3. Rikulicious Weekend Souvenirs

**Nobody's Fool**

_Fantacination_

**Trick III**

**Rikulicious Weekend Souvenirs**

**-------------**

Sora was by the wall phone, cradling the earpiece between his chin and his shoulder, his hands still clutching a box of Froot Loops. Pure sugar. Just what Sora needed to start his morning. His slight cold from last night was completely gone, as usual. Roxas passed him by, yawning. Unlike his twin, he simply wasn't a morning person.

Sora's bright voice easily carried over to the kitchen, following Roxas into the room, albeit a bit muffled. "Yeah, mom, he's staying over…No, he hasn't raped or molested me… or Roxas…" There was an audible sigh of disappointment from the other end of the conversation.

"And yeah, yourLoveless DVDs arrived this morning.. Mooooom! You know I don't like that stuff…and the one you brought last time is still in the garage. And we're 16! 'Cute' is for little kids…"

Roxas was a little glad he didn't have to answer the phone this early. He wasn't sure if he could deal with his mom's random statements and cheerful inquiries into his (nonexistent) sex life when he could barely manage to remember how to put toothpaste on a toothbrush and what to do with it afterwards.

There was a blue bowl of cereal on the kitchen counter, already. A red plastic spoon with a bunny head was stuck into it, a relic of Sora's childhood cereal box toys collection. Sitting down by the counter, Roxas tried a spoonful.

The cereal was too sweet, his teeth aching a little in protest. Making a face, Roxas swallowed the mixture of sugared air and milk down and went to the fridge to get out the leftover pizza.

He'd bent down to take a bottle of juice from the bottom rack when he heard Sora scrape a chair back. "Mom said goodbye, already?"

"I think they're still talking," Riku greeted.

"Oh. Hey." He'd almost forgotten about Riku. He was sitting on one of the tall bar stools, elbows on the counter. His hair was disheveled and he was wearing baggy boxer-like shorts and a plain white shirt that was too small straining over his shoulders. Sora had never been a good eye on sizes, Roxas noted distractedly. Riku didn't look like he'd slept well, either.

The blonde twin took the juice and the leftover pizza box, carrying both over to the counter. "…You want any?" He took out a large ceramic plate for heating, the sides patterned with neat blue stripes on white china.

"I'm good." Riku indicated the bowl in his hands. Blue, with that red plastic spoon, heaped with sugary Froot Loops. He spooned a bit of it up into his mouth, shoving the whole spoon's head into his mouth for emphasis. Riku coughed. "It's a little sweet, but Sora said I should try some, since I'm here." He tapped the spoon a little against the bowl. "We don't eat a lot of cereal at our house."

Suddenly, Roxas found he'd lost his appetite. "Uh, right."

Were there any normal ways to say: 'Gee, I sure hope you don't mind my spit in your mouth'?

"Mom said hi, Roxas," Sora chirped, sitting down at the table and pulling a red bowl towards him. "She figured you wouldn't be awake enough to say anything."

Roxas blinked at him owlishly.

Sora grinned. "Roxas is a lot friendlier in the mornings," his brother told Riku. "He's a grumpy teddy, but he doesn't bite as many people's heads off."

"Grumpy teddy?" Riku repeated, laughing easily.

"Yup! When he we were four, he used to love his teddy to bits—wouldn't let go. Mom had to let him take a bath with it and everything!"

Groaning, Roxas took his pizza out of the toaster oven (not to be confused with The Oven) and stalked off to the living room. If he wasn't there, Sora couldn't poke fun at him when he couldn't string a comeback together. Feeling a little put out, he flipped to a random cartoon channel and settled down among the couch pillows.

Even over the tinny vintage Saturday cartoon music, Roxas could hear Riku and Sora laughing in the kitchen like best friends do. It would quiet down for a little bit and then one of them would speak up and the whole thing would start all over again.

He had to hand it to them. It was really like nothing ever happened.

---

The Usual Spot was a run-down abandoned house just over to the right of the Sandlot Arcade. There weren't usually a lot of people around, so their group had chosen it as an official hangout. If there was an owner, he or she didn't seem to mind what they'd been doing. They'd even spruced the place up, covering the rotting boards with posters, old curtains, and Hayner's prized dartboard (Roxas beat him 2 times out of every 4). Olette brought in flowers, sometimes, blankets, and her marble collection, which dominated a corner of the room where the sun could catch in the orbs in a multicolored scintillating glory. They'd brought in small tables and old couches, too. Pence had contributed the cooler and small stack of books on the shelves, while Roxas had brought in one of his small starlight lamps. All in all, the place was pretty homey.

"Earth to Roxas, you still there?" Olette waved a hand in front of Roxas' face.

"Yeah, just thinking." Roxas smiled a little back. Right now, they were on the balcony that opened from the room they usually hung out in. The building was so old; parts of the railing had crumbled away, falling into the dense greenery below them. The platform was still pretty strong, though. Besides, the view here was always breathtaking, half of the city sprawled out before them. They'd spent a lot of afternoon watching the sun set and paint the rooftops orange.

"You're always thinking, Roxas! You should live a little." Hayner said, on Olette's other side.

"Lay off, Hayner, not everyone's as brainless as you." The girl smiled to take the bite out of her words.

Roxas laughed with them. "Nah, just a lot of things to do, you know?"

"Like chores?"

"That's right, your parents are away again, right?"

"Yeah, so it's just us in the house. And Riku." He made a face.

"Riku's staying over?" Olette asked, interested even as Hayner made a face and Pence took a picture of them both.

"Uh, yeah."

"Aw, man, Pence, you never get my good side!"

"_What_ good side? Besides, that's not really the point, you know. I'll be getting a new camera soon, so I better make the most of this one."

Laughing at their antics, Roxas dangled his legs over the ledge, and picked up an old leaf, blown by a stray wind onto the balcony. It was browning with age and chill, the red gold splash of the leaf eaten away, leaving mostly yawning ribs, like the bone comb of a sea witch.

"Hey, 'lette, did you bring any seasalt ice cream?"

"Is food all that's ever on your mind, Hayner?"

"Well there's Struggle and…uh, more food?" Olette rolled her eyes and made a face.

"Hmm, come to think of it, isn't it _your_ turn to buy the ice cream this week?"

"…I'm broke. I know-- I'll challenge you to darts for it!"

Beside him, Olette sighed, muttering something about boys with a mix of exasperation and fondness.

---

When Roxas checked his cell phone at late afternoon, Axel had left three messages detailing the inn they were staying at, the number of times Demyx had tripped over something, and how many fireworks you can stuff down a professors pants without him knowing. Needless to say, the teacher never found out who did it—and likely never will unless Axel told him. Roxas didn't envy him his job.

He opened his bedside lamp, a star-burst in bright blue, as he skimmed through the rest of the messages, sitting down on the checkered bedspread as he reached the end.

[Hws rkucno?]

It took Roxas a second to work out he meant "Rikuccino."

Riku was still out- Sora had mentioned something about the other boy needing to do something. He hadn't seen the other boy since breakfast, when he'd almost hurriedly left. Whether or not his haste had to do with the bruises he saw last night was still a mystery. Roxas wasn't curious enough to be a stalker. Although with the amount of people interested in the subject, he guessed he could make a lucrative business out of it. Roxas' Riku Report Weekly, stalking popular kids for fixated fanclubs since yesterday.

He'd make millions. And buy all the seasalt ice cream he could ever want.

Snorting at the thought, Roxas rolled over in bed, the slim black-white of his cell phone still clasped in his hand. He contemplated Axel's text for a few more moments before tapping away four quick letters on the rubber keypad.

[fine.]

That would never do for Axel, of course, but it would have to do until Roxas had something to say.

---

Roxas hesitated at Sora's door. Sora himself was downstairs, watching TV. Riku, on the other hand, had disappeared upstairs for a while, meaning he was absent when Roxas came into the living room to get a consensus on the night's takeout. The opportunity had presented itself as neatly as a gift-wrapped box of puppies.

All the same, he really wouldn't have considered this, if he hadn't thought Axel would whine at him for not getting any information at a sleepover. Feeling like a spy in his own home, Roxas entered the room.

It looked much the same as it always did, without the light on. He remembered staying up late with Sora when they were little, playing with their flashlights until the batteries ran out or their parents checked on them. They'd read comics and made shadow puppets, complete with accompanying ghost stories. Some of them were scary enough that neither boy could sleep a wink afterwards.

He could see the tiny pumpkin mask Sora had used one Halloween hanging off a shelf, and the replica of a brightly colored, vaguely blocky space ship next to a snow globe with a red dragon. But the silver-haired teen was nowhere in sight. That was odd. There weren't many places for him to go in the house. He was about to turn back when the curtain caught his eye. It floated dreamily over a pile of discarded clothes (Sora was never neat), twisting on the night wind.

Riku was on the small balcony ledge. His hair was wet from a shower and he was clutching a shirt in one hand, dressed only in a pair of loose black pants. He didn't seem to mind the cool weather, even if it was a lot warmer than yesterday. His face was upturned and staring up at a starless sky. (There would be a storm later that night. The entire island knew.) The sliver of moon that the clouds hadn't obscured lit softly on his skin, highlighting the contours of his face and lithe chest and turning his hair a dull mercury. His eyes seemed impossibly dark. Like something had eaten away at the color in them. He was toying with something small and shiny in his hands. Roxas wasn't sure what it was, from where he was standing.

It felt like he'd intruded on something very private.

And for the first time, Roxas _saw_ Riku. Saw the ethereal face framed by the soft, flowing pewter hair that made girls sigh in envy, the way his lips softly curved. He saw the graceful arch of his neck and the hard planes of his torso that tapered into his waist, the bruises a subtle dark pattern on the skin rather than the jarring, harsh colors they usually were.

More than that, he saw something that made Riku human. That was the answer to the little niggling question he'd left unanswered the first time Axel asked him about Riku. And as quickly as the thought occurred to him, the fleeting insight left, to be sorted out another time. Blinking, the blonde stepped back, wondering how long he's stood there, staring. Cursing inwardly, he made his way back as stealthily as he could.

He would have made it. If he hadn't tripped on one of Sora's enormous shoes and banged against a sharp-cornered chair. The books that had been teetering on the chair crashed to the floor, the carpet barely muffling the loud din that followed.

Rubbing his arm, Roxas sat up and looked straight at Riku's surprised face. " Roxas?"

"Uhm, yeah, I tripped." No points for saying the obvious. Ignoring Riku's proffered hand, he got up hastily, wincing when his arm protested being used as support. "I was going to ask what you wanted for dinner."

"You cook?"

He shrugged. "Take out."

"Point. I guess Sora's still downstairs watching Hitman Reborn?"

"With fist-pumping action," Roxas said with a small smile. Only Sora got as worked up about that show as he did. One time, he'd caught him trying to make the main character's gloves with a pair of old ones. The likeness was passable.

Riku smiled back and pulled the shirt carefully over his head. His pants dipping a little on his hips as he stretched. The shirt wasn't very loose, but it wasn't tight either. There was a pattern of dark blue stars running down the sides. Roxas knew that shirt. Although on him, it had been far baggier. It was one of his favorites.

"That's-" he said, before he could stop himself.

"Sora said he couldn't find any of his shirts so he borrowed one from your drawer," Riku explained, a little sheepish. "He said you wouldn't mind…?"

"…That's ok," Roxas said blankly. Someone was wearing his old shirt, no big deal. It probably looked better on Riku than on him, anyway. Roxas simply had the irrational urge to turn around and start walking away from him.

And he wasn't sure what about the sight of Riku- in the moonlight or in his shirt- that disturbed him.

When the clouds rolled in that night, the thunder rumbling as rain started to hit the roof in little staccato beats, Roxas still didn't have an answer. The rain was usually soothing, even with the low booms of occasional thunder, but instead of sleep, he found himself staring up at the ceiling again, counting the brown spots of age and wondering why, every now and then, an image of Riku with his shirt would flash into his mind, like the little bolts of lightning outside. The rest of the time, he caught himself straining to identify the revelation he thought he'd had, earlier.

Finally giving up at either exercise, Roxas made a mental note to wash the shirt very thoroughly afterwards and curled up on his side to blank his mind out and sleep.

---

"'Fine'? What kinda report is that? You're not turning into a Lex, are you? You know the testosterone pills make your vocal chords jam up." The tinny voicemail sounded almost scandalized.

Axel would probably get in trouble for that comment. Lexaeus, a teacher at the university who took tea with the librarian and chemist, was a large, beefy man. He could probably very easily break Axel's neck. Not that a lot of people hadn't already tried.

"Anyway," the voice mail continued, "We'll be going back tonight so I expect a good report when I get back. Meet up with me on Monday. I have a couple of souvenirs, too. Later."

A sharp beep confirmed the end of the message.

----

If he were right, the class was right about here… Jackpot. He could recognize the twin white doors of Axel's Philosophy classroom. The wood even retained the same uninspired carvings of obscenities and song or movie quotes (Bumblebee, stop lubricating the man!) that he remembered.

"Move over," a brisk female voice stated before Roxas could open the door.

Turning around, Roxas came face to face with the pointy end of a spiked choker. Blinking, he moved a step back and looked a little up—Larxene. That figured.

The blonde girl had donned her usual gothpunk wear, a ripped black t-shirt, a black leather mini over electric blue stockings and calf-length black boots with silver skulls on the buckles. Her choker was a blue so dark it was almost black, the metal spikes tinted blue and yellow. It was all probably very sharp, too. Once, Larxene had grabbed a boy from the hallways and frenched him in front of everyone. The boy had to be taken to the hospital afterwards and never did manage to talk the same way again.

Larxene grinned, showing even, slightly cigarette-stained teeth against the dark purple lipstick. Privately, Roxas thought that the expression was fitting given her shirt today said 'BOO, BITCH'.

"Let me see…You're Axel's best boytoy, right?" she sing-songed.

"Best friend," Roxas corrected automatically ,even though this happened almost every time he crossed paths with Larxene. Axel once said she didn't like kids- unless they were on the other end of her whip. Roxas wasn't sure he was joking. For all of that, though, she seemed to almost like him, in a way. He hadn't suffered any injuries yet.

"Whatever, shrimp," she replied airily, waving a black-gloved hand at him. The dull metal skull ring on it had a hair ribbon. She opened the door and stepped inside.

"Axel, your bitchboy's here!" Larxene called, wickedly dragging out the 'bitchboy'.

"Which one?" Axel yelled back. Roxas rolled his eyes. Typical Axel.

"The blonde one with the big blue eyes and the grumpy face."

"Roxas isn't my bitchboy, Larx. He's too skinny," Axel said, the wink palpable in his voice, "I like them with a little more meat, if you know what I mean."

The girl laughed (a spine-chilling sound if ever there was one), and left Roxas at the door. Larxene passed by Axel on her way back to her seat, dragging a finger teasingly down Axel's arm as she went. Axel flicked her skirt.

Her seat, Roxas noted, was next to Paine, another intimidating girl, if less crazy and more stoic. Paine was friends with Yuna and Rikku, both popular girl seniors at Destiny High. Not to mention the fact that she got along with Lulu. Aside from the black leather fetish, she was just about normal. A lot of girls idolized her enough to try to copy her. He had a feeling Paine less than appreciated the offered lunchboxes decorated with little hearts, though.

Roxas looked around the room. He could see Axel with his feet up on the school desks, a magazine propped open on his lap and lazily taking a knotted cherry stem out of his mouth. Demyx, aspiring rocker-musician and Axel's college buddy-roommate, was leaning against him, reaching for his can of soda and ending up half-sprawled on the redhead's lap before he was able to retrieve the can and go back to tuning the sitar in his hands. Surprisingly, they weren't making out. As far as Roxas knew, Axel and Demyx had an on-off casual relationship.

Axel came over and slouched against the doorway in tight low-rise leather pants. More than a few eyes darted towards them, lingering at the way Axel's sharp hips jutted out as he leaned or the way his spandex shirt ("Give me two blows to the head and we'll call it boxing.") rode up.

"Great timing, I got you a little something from the trip." He dipped one hand into his jacket pocket and produced a tube of greenish cream. Stars floated inside, magically suspended in the thick mixture.

He was almost afraid to ask. "…What is it?"

"Novelty lube," Axel declared cheerfully. "Some guy with red bandages was selling it next to the factory we went to."

"Why-?" Roxas was interrupted by someone coughing, waiting to get past them and get into the room. Looking up, Roxas saw broad-shouldered Marluxia.

If the guy didn't have pink hair and dressed like a drama club teacher, he might have been voted football captain on looks alone. Failing that, he should have been the laughingstock overdramatic wannabe movie star of the university. None of those things had proven true. Marluxia was crafty in a way more obvious than Axel, and he'd calmly, determinedly cut down everything in his path with a smile and a big-ass scythe, a deceptive grim reaper climbing to the top and becoming Student Council President of the university.

Marluxia's cold eyes surveyed them both with a mixture of boredom and vague disgust, likely pointed towards the Student Body Representative, Axel.

"Must've been a wash-out scientist. There were other things, too," Axel replied conversationally, pointedly ignoring the SC President. He took something else out of his pocket. "Want a dick pop?"

It was a slender white plastic stick with a large red phallic lolly stuck to the end. No points for guessing how it got its name.

"…I'll pass." Roxas stepped a little to the side, leaving a little more space for people to get through.

Smiling wickedly, Axel popped the end of the clear red lollipop in his mouth. "You sure? It's cherry flavored."

There was something that might have been a grunt from Marluxia as he apparently decided he'd take being rude over listening to Axel's innuendo and brushed past them both. He paused briefly while passing the pyro, who had taken it upon himself to slouch even more against the threshold, forcing Marluxia to turn sideways to get through, yet still managing to brush his hips against him. Scowling, the president's hand twitched, like he was considering doing something for the slight. Axel raised mocking eyes to his, a brief moment of eye contact before a disgruntled but nonetheless poised Marluxia sat down near the front of the room.

Roxas shook his head. Only Axel would have the gall to provoke the Student Council President. And get away with it.

Axel hadn't even been running for his post as a representative, but he'd been nominated and elected by popular vote. Politically speaking, the Student Council needed him. The redhead was particularly popular with the freshman-sophomore group. It wasn't like Axel wasn't eligible, either. He had good grades, he knew his way around things, and how to deal with people— his manners were the only issue.

"You shouldn't get him too worked up. Didn't the other candidates for presidency mysteriously withdraw?" Roxas asked dryly. It had become an urban legend. Rumor had it there were vengeful ghosts in the third floor botanical garden.

Axel grinned, eyes flashing above his twin drop tattoos. "That's why it's so fun."

"Fun might be something sharp in your throat, someday."

Axel laughed. "Guess I better live it up 'til then, huh?"

Sometimes, Roxas wasn't sure if Axel had death wish, or he was looking for something else, head tossed back and laughing at the wind.

Either way…

"Here's the CD you wanted." Roxas handed Axel a slim translucent CD case, the disc inside neatly labeled with the names of the mp3s he'd wanted.

"Thanks, I'll load it tonight." Pausing, Axel flashed Roxas one of his wide smiles. "Oh, and I got one for Riku, too."

"You got him a souvenir?" Axel didn't usually get _one_ souvenir, much less more.

"'Course I did. Gotta be thinking of my Rikulicious, right?"

---

-_AS MUCH OF America surfaces in a ball park, on a golf links, at a race track, or around a poker table, much of Bali surfaces in a cock ring. For it is only apparently cocks that are fighting there. Actually, it is men._

_To anyone who has been in Bali any length of time, the deep psychological identification of Balinese men with their cocks is unmistakable. The double entendre here is deliberate. It works in exactly the same way in Balinese as it does in English, even to producing the same tired jokes, strained puns, and uninventive obscenities. Bateson and Mead have even suggested that, in line with the Balinese conception of the body as a set of separately animated parts, cocks are viewed as detachable, self-operating penises, ambulant genitals with a life of their own. And while I do not have the kind of unconscious material either to confirm or disconfirm this intriguing notion, the fact that they are masculine symbols par excellence is about as indubitable, and to the Balinese about as evident, as the fact that water runs downhill. The language of everyday moralism is shot through, on the male side of it, with roosterish imagery. Sabung, the word for cock (and one which appears in inscriptions as early as A.D. 922 ), is used metaphorically to mean "hero," "warrior," "champion," "man of parts," "political candidate," "bachelor," "dandy," "lady-killer," or "tough guy." A pompous man whose behavior presumes above his station is compared to a tailless cock who struts about as though he had a large, spectacular one… Court trials, wars, political contests, inheritance disputes, and street arguments are all compared to cockfights... -_

Roxas tapped his pencil on the table and decided that he was tired of reading Clifford Geertz's "Of Cocks and Men". The reaction paper on the essay wasn't due for a while, anyway. It was study hall, but nobody ever did any real studying in study hall unless you were really bored. All around the library, his classmates, most of which he'd never really gotten to know, were in various stages of socializing. The girl three seats down was already half on her boyfriend's lap, while some other groups pointed and whispered to each other. Five guys had crowded suspiciously around a book, occasionally looking up guiltily. Roxas was willing to bet whatever was at the center of their huddle wasn't educational.

Slipping the essay and his pencil back into his bag, Roxas rose from the table and nodded to the silent boy he'd been sitting with. The boy nodded back and went back to reading, his messy hair flopping over and spilling a little out of his shirt collar.

Roxas was halfway down the hall from the library before he had any idea of where he was going. There was never a whole lot to do on free periods, but whenever he could, Roxas had liked the view from the school rooftop. Something about the height, the buffeting wind, the sun beating down on his body calmed him down, comfortable and familiar as much as it was blinding.

"What do you want?" A snippet of conversation drifted to Roxas from down the hall.

"Don't be like that. Not when I went to the trouble of getting a little something, just for you."

That was Axel's voice, Roxas realized. He kept moving forward until the corner, hesitantly slowing his steps as he approached it. He'd walked in on Axel far too many times not to have a good idea what might be happening.

Pressed against the wall, Riku glared stonily up at Axel, a full head taller than the silver-haired teen's own impressive height. The glare was being thoroughly ignored, of course. Half the people Axel met glared at him. The redhead's arm was leaning on the wall, pressed to the elbow, and he was so close to Riku's body that there was hardly any light between them. Axel was all but grinding against Riku, all supple leather pants and wicked smiles. His other hand held a small red-purple hoop, a yellow star on it. It looked like a ring, but…

"It's too big for any of my fingers," Riku stated blandly, looking at it askance.

"I know, Axel smirked, and casually tucked the ring into Riku's pants' back pocket, keeping his hand inside and squeezing roughly.

There was a startled little noise and Riku moved to punch, before abruptly stopping. His hands were full, Roxas noted suddenly. Riku carried a large see-through plastic bag in either hand, filled with a few empty glass bottles, cans, maybe a few eggs, probably for home economics and all very delicate. Things he wouldn't be able to fight with. Even a kick might be too rough. Roxas had to briefly admire Axel's cunning to trap Riku like that.

Chuckling, Axel moved his hand up Riku's shirt, skimming over the dip at the small of his back, the material of the dark shirt bunching a little up, exposing a tempting strip of Riku's flat, six-pack stomach (what kind of person had those?) and his hips. Riku had the most baffling practice of wearing pants that settled so low on his hips that it was almost obscene—much to the delight of his fan club. You'd think he'd take a hint from Sora and use belts.

"Stop that," Riku demanded, the lightest flush creeping up his cheeks, eyes sparking, promising a dire consequence.

"Make me," Axel murmured, bending his head so he was at eye-level, staring into Riku's aquamarine eyes.

"You're-" It's the work of a moment for Axel to press his lips to Riku's and swallow the unborn word whole.

Riku went stock-still, his posture slack with surprise and his eyes widening. He dropped the left plastic bag, with a loud clink of breaking glass. Reaching up, that pale ivory hand threaded through Axel's fiery red hair.

Quietly, with soft, unhurried steps, Roxas backed away and made his way back to the library.

---

"Did anyone see that new energy drink commercial?" Pence asked, fiddling with his digital camera. The gadget was new, as sleek and compact as Tron Inc could make it, and boasting a couple of new features to get the edge over their rival companies. It hadn't left Pence's loving hands for a single moment in the past 18 hours. Roxas wondered if he took it to the bathroom.

Probably not. That would risk getting the camera wet, after all.

"I did," Hayner volunteered, "it was hilarious- how pumped up can a guy get?" Hayner puffed his chest up and mock-flexed his muscles. Olette laughed and poked his camouflage-vest teasingly. Faster than anyone could blink, Pence took a picture.

"Pence," the girl intoned half-reproachfully.

"Aw, come on guys, it's new! I have to test it out!" Pence protested.

"You should at least put Roxas in one. He never gets a picture taken." Olette grabbed Roxas' wrist and pushed him a little further into the circle.

"I don't know-"

"Come off it, Roxas, what are you afraid of? Getting your soul ripped out?" Hayner called out. "You too, Pence. That thing has a timer, right? Get over here or you'll be the only one without any pictures."

"Cheese!"

"Ow, hey, Hayner!"

"Smile, Roxas!"

"I am!"

"I've seen better expressions on constipation ads—ack!"

"Pence, how long are we going to have to—"

The pictures never did come out the way they were supposed to, but Roxas figured he liked the candid shots better, anyway. They had all crowded around Pence after their impromptu photo shoots, peering at the digital camera's slideshow. One featured Hayner in Roxas' headlock while Pence and Olette looked surprised. Others had the entire group making funny faces at the camera or nothing at all but the tip of one of Olette's shoes.

"Hey, Pence, what was that?" Olette asked suddenly.

"What was what?" Pence wanted to know, thumbing back.

It was a photograph of the trees around school. The central focus was a multi-colored butterfly resting on the bark, the pattern on its wings resembling a Mardi Gras mask. But a little farther back, someone's profile was visible. Pence zoomed in.

A sleeping face swam into slightly pixelated view, relaxed and mouth slightly parted. The shadows of leaves fluttered on his face, shading the lightness of his hair. Riku had never looked so peaceful.

"That's Riku, right?" Olette noted.

"Geeze, Pence, you should try out for the paparazzi," Hayner commented.

"It's not like I meant to get him in it!" Pence protested, switching back to the other pictures.

Without commenting, Roxas wondered tiredly why it seemed like Riku was invading his life.

---

Axel arrived around early evening for the "report". The class had started before Roxas could tell Axel much of anything, prompting them to arrange another time. Axel's cheeks were flushed with the cold and his scarf trailed behind him like a woebegone banner. He kept his coat buttoned up, even though the inside of the house was warm. Roxas shook his head. He'd given up trying to understand Axel's fashion sense eons ago. Instead, he pointed at the half-full pan of chocolate and milk on the stove. He'd made hot chocolate.

"Thanks," Axel breathed, taking a mug-full and sinking down into a chair. He looked happy. Very happy, as far as Axel's happy went. He looked positively gleeful.

"Did something happen?" Roxas asked, trying not to seem too guilty. Spying on your best friend making out, no matter how much of an exhibitionist said best friend was, wasn't the most polite thing to do.

"Hm? I've made some progress, you could say."

Up Riku's shirt, even, Roxas added mentally. "Giddy?"

One scarlet brow rose arrogantly at him. "If I were going to be giddy, I'd do it better."

Roxas decided not to comment. Same self-assured Axel.

"So I was thinking about making the next step."

"Next step?" Roxas echoed. "What, taking him to a love motel?"

Axel flicked a tiny pink marshmallow from the bag on the counter at Roxas' head. "Gutter-head. We'll make a real boy out of you yet," he commented approvingly.

"Must be all the great company I keep."

"If you want to get taught, get the best." Axel downed half of his hot chocolate in one gulp. Roxas winced. His own mug of hot chocolate was still far too hot for him to do anything but sip timidly after long minutes. But Axel drank his daily coffee scalding and had never paid much attention to the heat. Roxas suspected the redhead's tongue had already lost most of its taste buds and nerve endings. It was the sort of thing Axel wouldn't care about.

"Either way, I'm thinking it's time our Rikulicious got an ambush date."

Roxas stirred the hot chocolate with a spoon, hoping that it would cool off a little faster. "Why don't you just ask him?" After pushing your tongue down someone's throat, asking for a date should be an easy step back.

"He ran away."

"…What?" Roxas tried to picture the follow up sequence to the scene he'd witnessed. Pulling someone's hair might be rough, sure, but he didn't really think that counted as running away.

Shrugging, Axel leaned forward on the counter, a mischievous smile on his face. "Some people don't know what to do with themselves around me."

"Must be hard to choose between punching or kicking," Roxas noted with a smile.

"Moaning works best. Easier on the furniture."

"…I didn't need to know that."

"You might want to take more notes than you think," Axel replied flippantly. "So do you know when he's going to be out this weekend?" Axel unwrapped his scarf and put it down on the table.

"Uh…" To be honest, Roxas couldn't remember anything about where Riku went over the weekend. "With Sora—probably."

"Then you can tell me when he and Sora are going to go out. I'll wing it from there." Axel stood up. "Meantime, I think I'll go use the bathroom." Axel didn't come by too often, but he seemed to have memorized the general lay out. It wasn't that hard in a small 3-bedroom house. He sauntered over to the white door with the rubber duck decal stuck on it.

Axel had left his red maple and white scarf on the table. Sighing, Roxas pushed it away from their mugs (just in case something spilled), sneezing when a waft of perfume blew into his face. Some unidentifiable floral scent. Probably roses, although Roxas wasn't any expert.

Stirring his hot chocolate with a spoon, he added a few tiny marshmallows from the big plastic bag on the counter. The small pastel puffs bobbed on the surface before slowly melting into the beverage.

Taking a sip, Roxas decided it was too sweet.

---

They ended up talking in Roxas' room, again, Axel perched on Roxas' study table chair with Roxas on the bed. Roxas ran down the weekends events, which could be compressed to a few sentences, really. He hadn't seen Riku that much. He'd hesitated a little over sensitive areas, but settled for a compromise. He left out Riku's bruises but told him about meeting up with him… emoing at the moon, for lack of a better succinct phrase.

"And?" Axel was throwing darts at the miniature board Roxas had gotten that time Hayner was totally obsessed with the game (pre-Struggle mania) and had forced Roxas to practice with him. Everything landed within the innermost circle. Bastard.

"What do you want me to say?" Roxas snapped a little testily, "That he looks great, half-naked in the moonlight?"

Axel smiled in satisfaction. "Told you I can pick them."

Roxas grimaced and threw a pillow at him. "Oh sure, like the schizophrenic puppy man."

"Hey, he was cute. How many grown men do you see acting like a puppy one moment and berserk the next?"

"Only yours. You're just like a huge flaming neon sign that attracts weirdos." The blonde waved his hands around for emphasis.

"Like you?"

"I have to be weird, to be friends with you," Roxas groaned. He flopped back on the bed., bouncing slightly on the mattress springs. Axel leaned over him from the chair, tilting his head. From here, the tattoos on his cheeks looked like slim candy corn silhouettes.

"Hey, you know I appreciate it, right?"

Roxas pulled a pillow over his face. "Yeah, I do." His voice sounded muffled through the cotton. "But that doesn't mean I like it." He shoved the pillow straight and sharply up into Axel's face, catching him by surprise.

Axel retaliated immediately.

Nope, not at all. He didn't have to like anything.

-----

**Author's Rambles:**

Your essential vocabulary for life: phallic. I suggest you look it up if you don't know it yet. :D

The quote came from "Of Cocks and Men" by Clifford Geetz, as mentioned. Very interesting essay. It's about Balinese cockfighting, yes, and how it makes up a big part of the complex social framework, etc. I think there's a copy online, if you want to see the whole thing. I just thought it would be funny to include. XD;

Loveless and Gakuen Heaven are both boy love anime/manga. XD Although Gakuen Heaven started out as a yaoi lovesim game. Clearly, Rox and Sora's mother is a yaoi fangirl. Run for your lives, boys. On the other hand, Katekyo Hitman Reborn is a shounen anime. Yeah, you have your whip-wielding pretty boy and questionable too-adoring right hand men, but it's still classified shounen. ;P.

And YES that's potion lube, for all you rikuroku fans out there, I think it's been used more than once in fic, although could be just SKF and me. And YES that was totally Diz peddling naughty stuff on the street. You know he has the makings for it. And I think I scattered bits of dsney and kingdom hearts game references here…

I didn't notice, but there was a discrepancy in chapter 2 . Basically, Roxas said weekend, and Axel said week—it's just a weekend. .

Oh, and hey, look, AkuRiku! XD And Riku's souvenir? Hee, let's just say that if I explained it, I might have to move the rating up to M.

And uh, it looks like you guys met the goal of 10 reviews for the chapter (and we reached 20). happy. I did try to get this out faster but school work interfered.

This is unbetaed, btw. Feel free to point out the mistakes. I kinda hurried a lotta parts too . DX;; Also, can someone tell me if I'm doing anything right with the humor? I'm trying to make it funny, but I don't know if the jokes are hitting or falling flat. XD;

The next chapter might not be out for a bit—finals at our school pretty soon! But I do enjoy your reviews/comments, so please do make some to encourage the author ;D.

urn to Top


	4. Sixpenny Sluts

**Nobody's Fool **

_Fantacination _

**Trick IV**

**Sixpenny Sluts**

_(A.K.A Rox Ass Gropage)_

--

"Y-yeah… you too…Bye…"

Roxas swallowed the last bit of chow mien in his box just as Sora walked back into the kitchen, staring into space like it was the TV during Reborn reruns.

"Who was it?" Roxas asked, reaching for a shanghai roll and pouring himself some soda at the same time. Chinese take out today. "Kairi?"

"Uhm…yeah…"

When it wasn't one, it was the other, Roxas thought dryly. He always had a 50-50 chance of guessing who was on the other end of the line when it came to Sora. "Anything interesting?"

"She said she needed a date for Aerith's party and uhm…" Sora scratched the back of his head and looked down, blushing a vibrant shade of pink.

Roxas blinked. "You like her."

"Well, I don't know maybe I guess?" Sora gabbled, turning a brighter shade of red. "I mean, she's one of my best friends, of course I do! It's just…"

"It's fine, Sora," Roxas hooked Sora's neck and twisted him into a headlock, ruffling his hair. "So you got a date, don't mess it up."

"Y-eah,"

"Didn't you make plans with Riku, though?" Roxas prompted casually.

"Ah, Riku! I gotta call him!" Sora ducked to break Roxas' hold and ran to the phone again. Quickly punching the numbers into the pad without even pausing. "Hello? Can I…Oh, Riku, great! Uhm, Kairi just called me up and…"

It was really uncanny how some things just fell right into place, Roxas decided. Maybe it was Axel's strange luck, influencing the elliptical orbits of the planets. Not that he'd tell him that. The man had a big enough ego as it was. It was just strangely convenient that the redhead always seemed to get what he wanted. It just fell right onto his lap. Flattening the cardboard the take out had come in, Roxas threw the refuse into the garbage bin. Knowing Sora, he wouldn't clean up after himself.

--

"Phil's called in sick, so I'll be filling in as monitor for the period." You could practically feel the stares as Leon Lionhart leaned against the gym wall, looking perfectly unflappable and not nearly official enough in his customary tight black leather and array of blood red belts. Today's jacket was trimmed in white fur, half-zipped over a tight white shirt. He looked less an office aide and student council secretary-general than a dressed to kill biker.

"Since another teacher got sick during this period, the office decided you guys can have joint P.E. The other class is mostly juniors and they'll be around in a few minutes." The announcement was greeted with groans. Mixing an older year would inevitably mean year group divisions and _that_ meant they'd get creamed at any sport they were going to play.

"Today's sport is basketball. Start playing after you change." When it was clear he wasn't going to say anymore, the assembled sophomore class started to wander away to the locker rooms, a gaggle of girls lingering with their camera phones in hand and taking pictures. Leon was pointedly ignoring that particular group.

Olette waved at Roxas as she joined a couple of other girls walking over to the girls' locker room, chatting with a laconic Fuu. The other girl didn't seem to mind Olette as much as she did Roxas or Hayner when Seifer was around. Girl bonding, he supposed, as he followed the rest of his male classmates to the locker room.

Predictably, a trio of boys were already talking about Leon and the rumors surrounding his preferences when they came in.

"Fur? Like he wasn't gay enough."

"Shut up, Ron, he might hear you and call his _boyfriend_."

"The sword fighting champion? You think it's legal to have a sword that big?"

"Probably overcompensating," someone snorted.

"I heard he…yanno, dressed up as a girl."

"Cut it out, all of you, you gossip like girls," a smooth voice cut in calmly. Roxas looked up from where he'd been about to take off his shirt. The juniors were here. And right at the lead was a too-familiar face with bright viridian eyes.

"'Sides, obsessing over 'gay men' and their swords might give us all the wrong idea," Tidus chimed in, winking and smiling cheerfully with his jersey slung over his shoulder. "You don't want to mess with Cloud, anyway. Heard he likes slicing things to itty bitty pieces. Calls it omnislash or something like that."

The boys blanched and didn't utter another squeak. When Riku and Tidus told someone to shut up in the locker room, they shut up. Both were aces of their sports teams and popular to boot. Their word was gold.

Tidus was one-in-a-million Blitzball star and had scholarship offers from several universities already, including a small but selective one called Besaid. His sunny personality drew people to him in much the same way people liked Sora. He also happened to have Yuna, one of the prettiest girls at school for his girlfriend, rendering him immune to any fag comments that people might throw at him for defending the gay-straight alliance.

Riku… well, he was Riku. His scholarship offers totaled to about double of Tidus' own, since he was active in several sports clubs and kept his grades up. Crap. Basketball was his game, wasn't it? They practically didn't have any hope, now.

The homophobic sophomore boys were still flabbergasted, shifting uneasily as the rest of the juniors came in. The locker room wasn't really meant to hold more than a class at a time, comfortably speaking, so there was a bit of jostling as they made their way through. Roxas was thankful he was at the end of the room. By the time the chaos got to him, he'd probably be almost done changing. Slipping his shirt above his head, he surveyed the rest of the incoming class. None of the other juniors were as flashy as Tidus and Riku, but he did spot a couple of other unusual guys. There was the drama club and track field star, Zidane, the impish look on his face never fading and chatting amicably with his friend, Blank.

Thoughtfully rolling up his shirt, Roxas quickly unbuttoned his pants and reached for his P.E. uniform shirt, intending to put it on before changing into the school-prescribed jogging pants.

"Watch out-!"

"Hey!"

"DOGPILE!"

One moment, Roxas had his shirt in hand and the next moment, he was down on the floor, stomach pressed against the cold tile with several people on top of him, one of which had his knee pressed between his legs and someone's hair against his cheek. "The-" he couldn't speak. The wind had been knocked out of his lungs. And there was so much weight pressed against his chest, the cold hard edges of a zipper digging into his hip. And fuck that , someone's hand was on his ass and if he wasn't squeezing, he might as well be. Blood rushed to Roxas' face, coloring his cheeks pale pink.

"What the hell," Tidus laughed, somewhere, Roxas dimly, realized, behind his left leg. His laughter carried over to the rest of the room, making uninvolved boys shake their heads and chuckle even as the rest of the ones on the floor started tackling and kicking, laughing riotously

"G-get off!" Roxas gasped, pushing up and trying to get on his knees. Big mistake. He'd pushed his ass straight into whoever's hand, prompting a reflexive clutch that made Roxas utter a little molested yelp. Whoever was on top of him (and he had sinking feeling he knew because it was just the sort of stupid cliché one in a million thing that might freakishly happen) made a small choked sound.

"Hey, Riku, let me help you up," Tidus said cheerfully. Just like that the weight was off. "Oh, uh, Roxas, right? Sorry about me and Riku crushing you."

Roxas didn't say anything. He'd turned around as soon as he felt the weight lift, staring up at a sheepish Tidus and the back of Riku's head. The silver-haired basketball star was already walking away.

"Don't mind Riku. He's not really great with people, sometimes." Tidus held his hand out, expecting Roxas to take it. The sophomore ignored it, choosing to push himself up instead. The zip of his pants had been torn open in the scuffle, the gaping mouth falling around his hips and leaving his checkered, pushed-down underwear exposed. Great. Now he looked like a rape victim to boot.

"Uh, well, glad you're ok. You're Sora's twin, right? I'm Tidus," he added as an afterthought. "See you around."

Grudgingly nodding, Roxas forced a quick smile to show everything was ok. Quickly, he dropped his pants and pulled the jogging ones on, slipping the ubiquitous white P.E. shirt on before anything else happened.

--

"Pass the ball!"

"I'm open!"

"Guard him!"

The thing about basketball was that if you had too many players, things got pretty confusing. Since they only had 4 courts in the gym, they had to make do. The girls were already using half the courts and they were getting on fine. Some people had opted to stay out, or lingered at the edges of the court rather than actually playing.

Not that he could talk. Roxas wasn't doing much more than jog around with the rest of his team. Seifer had taken it upon himself to challenge the juniors, aggressively barging through with help from Rai. Some of the better players were helping, but for the most part, they were ignoring the rest of the team and barely making any points.

The junior team was doing a bit better at coordination, but it was a one man game. Riku took every pass and made every shot. The rest of them simply looked on with looks of complete adoration on their faces. He had fanboys, now? Bet they stole peeks of his black batman underwear in the locker room. Not that Roxas knew.

"Riku rocks!" A few girls had come over to watch, screaming. The person in question had just managed to score a three pointer, although Seifer had managed to gain possession of the ball again. Three guards were already on him.

"Tch. Hey, you, lamer, look sharp!" Seifer bounced the ball between his legs, managing to pass it in the general direction Roxas was in.

"Huh?" Roxas barely raised his hands in time to catch the ball as it rushed towards his head.

"Don't just stand there, you idiot! Run!" Considering Seifer and Hayner hated each other's guts and Roxas didn't generally do a lot of basketball, the pass was the last thing that he expected in this game. Seifer looked like he'd had to swallow a lemon to do it. Roxas couldn't blame him. Hayner had recently stuck a record total of thirteen spitballs onto his beanie.

Dribbling the ball, he made for the other team's court, unsurprised to see a couple of the juniors block his path. That was fine. It was a little like skateboarding around an obstacle. Turning fluidly, he neatly evaded their guard and dribbled past. He might not be the most athletic guy, but he knew how to be speedy.

"Yeah, Roxas!"

Riku blocked him before he'd gone another step, face unreadable. His hair was tied up, but a few loose locks had flopped back into his face, sticking to his sweaty face. Roxas brought himself up short, dribbling the ball a little to the right and behind him. Star player, huh? He glanced around, looking for a teammate to pass the ball to. Blocked. He doubted he'd be able to get past Riku.

Riku seized the chance to take the ball back while Roxas was distracted, very nearly taking it. Roxas switched to his other hand immediately. Like hell he was gonna lose to this guy. Trying to buy time, he played with the ball, tossing it back and forth between hands and occasionally bouncing it between his legs, perfectly in control. He just hoped he didn't look as much of an idiot as he was feeling.

"Over here!" Someone had broken free. Roxas passed the ball without another thought. Basketball wasn't his game. They scored. Without quite meaning to, Roxas let out a satisfied smile.

After that, Riku seemed more aggressive than ever. He scored several points, leaving the sophomore team far behind amidst cheers (more like squeals, really) from his team and the girls' team across the gym. Roxas received the ball a few times, but he always passed it on before very long. The last time he'd played basketball was last year's freshman P.E. and he doubted his aim was much better than it was back then.

Keeping the ball close, the blonde teen ducked past a tall junior with feathers in his hair and rushed straight into Riku's defense. Again. It was kinda amazing he wasn't tired out yet, considering how mobile he'd been on court. His face was still as expressionless as ever, despite the slight flush from running. It irritated Roxas for a reason he couldn't name. Maybe that was why he tried to break through his defense instead of passing as he usually did. There really wasn't any hope left of winning the game, this late into the last quarter, and he was a short couple of yards from the hoop. Why not be crazy?

Alternating the ball between his two hands, he turned his back to Riku, keeping his eyes sharp for an opening to do his turn past him. There. To the right. Roxas feinted, his elbow brushing against Riku's arm. The older teen flinched. Suddenly, Roxas wondered if he'd gathered a new collection of bruises and almost dropped the ball.

"H-hey…"

Roxas tried to turn around, only to be suddenly aware that the ball was gone. Riku had stolen it and passed it just as quickly to one of his teammates, startling a chain reaction of surprise. The same turn of Riku's body unbalanced Roxas' center of gravity. He fell away from him, landing painfully on the hard, polished wood-panel floors of the gym.

The bell rang before the other guy could make much of his possession, sending cheers nonetheless throughout the gym. Riku turned and clapped with them, blatantly ignoring Roxas after a muttered word that might've been an apology or a curse.

He could deal with Riku ignoring him, easy. He could deal with getting the cold shoulder, because he didn't, never did, never was gonna care what crawled up his ass and decomposed. He could deal with Riku beating him at basketball and being an arrogant prick about it.

But that didn't mean he was going to take it lying down. Because stupid Riku with his stupid totally random acts almost made him _care_. Screw that. Sweeping his leg out savagely, Roxas hit Riku's leg before the other teen could walk away. Caught off-guard, Riku went down, hitting the floor with more grace than Roxas would have liked, but making the most satisfying thud.

"Oops," Roxas said flatly, standing up and heading for the lockers before anyone noticed what he'd done.

He spent the rest of the period in the showers, scrubbing furiously. Riku deserved whatever hell Axel would stir up on Saturday.

--

The can burst open, spilling frothy, sticky blue liquid all over his hand. Roxas cursed under his breath, quickly holding it away from him before any fell on his clothes. The last thing he wanted were wiseguys thinking it'd be incredibly witty to make blue wet your pants jokes.

"You've been in a bad mood all week," Namine observed in that knowing way that all girls had and Namine pulled off (-most of the time). She handed him a packet of tissues from her bag, still unopened.

"Gee, you think?" Roxas asked dryly. He wiped the worst of the soda away, returning the half-used packet with a 'thanks'. They were in the cafeteria, post lunch rush, meeting to discuss their art project. So far, they were just brainstorming, though.

"Does it have something to do with Riku?"

Roxas stiffened. "Not at all."

Namine made a small sound that might have been a laugh or a considering 'hmm'. "What did he do to you?"

Grabbed my ass and knocked me over twice? "Nothing."

Sighing, the girl brought out her sketchpad. "If you don't want to talk about it, that's fine, but you should really quite acting like a ticked-off girlfriend, you know."

"If I were his 'girlfriend' I wouldn't last two days. Either the fangirls would get me or his personality would." Roxas pointed out. He suspected part of Riku's singledom had something to do with the occupational hazard as much as whatever messed up ideas were in that prettyboy head.

"He's not that bad, is he?" Pursing her lips slightly, Namine erased a stray line from the corner of her drawing. "Sora doesn't choose bad friends."

"No," Roxas admitted. Sora was usually a good enough judge of character, for all he was a bit too trusting, sometimes. "It's just…"

Namine smiled at him, handing him a piece of paper. "I'm thinking of mixed media for our art project. Are you any good at origami?"

The strange thing about Namine was that she somehow managed to say and not say the most sensibly senseless things. Roxas nodded, taking the square piece of colored paper and starting to fold.

He'd get over it.

--

Axel waved Roxas inside and settled the phone he'd been using back to its cradle. He swept a critical eye over Roxas as he popped open a bottle of soda. "You're not really going to wear that, are you?"

"Why not?" the younger boy looked down at his oversized white shirt over baggy old denim pants. Nothing too unusual there. "Not like you're one to talk, anyway. Didn't you call me up here to help you dress?"

"For a guy who owns assless chaps, you don't show much fashion sense."

Roxas glared. "I didn't _know_ that when I bought them!"

Axel rolled his eyes and opened his closet, taking out a few hangers. "It's a shame you don't wear them more often—it's not like you can't bring it." The clothes he brought out were nothing short of …well, _short_. Roxas didn't really want to know how Axel did his shopping, sometimes. Or _where_ he did it, to be more precise. Some of them had a disturbing amount of fishnet and not much else. Any single article in the left wardrobe shelf could have fit comfortably in the palm of his hand.

"Not that one. You're going to scare everyone off within a 5 foot radius with those."

Holding the sheer garment up against him, Axel shrugged, "Not in downtown Moulin." Roxas could see his face, done up with the usual kohl around his eyes, quite clearly through the cloth.

"Last I heard, nothing nearing a movie theatre was in downtown Moulin," Roxas pointed out.

"That depends on what kind of movie action you're looking for," the redhead replied off-handedly. He was tossing one article of clothing after the other onto the bed (the sheets of which depicted something explicit in black and white grunge style. Roxas hadn't even known you could bend that way.) The blonde watched as Axel flung mink handcuffs, a skimpy red leather bikini, and a pair of fuzzy cat ears and tail out of the closet. He decided to stop watching after Axel took out an assortment of interestingly-shaped…toys.

Shaking his head, Roxas swung the closet door wide open, peering in at the chaotic mess. He could see everything from faux fur to leather in just about every color of the rainbow. Where did Axel keep his _normal_ clothes, anyway? He had to have more than one pair of non-leather, non-ripped-to-shreds pants, right?

"Don't you have anything… decent, here?" He sifted through some shirts that were probably his usual university wear. Flatteringly tight, he supposed, and all of them emblazoned with slogans running from "do you believe in love at first sight, or should I walk past again" to "grab your ankles, bitch."

"Better than what you have on," Axel snorted, bringing the topic back up.

"What does it matter what I wear? It's not like I'm going anywhere today." In fact, the blonde teen had a very nice line up of DVDs and a couple of games he'd been meaning to finish today. Hayner and the rest of the gang were busy cramming for their research papers, so he had been expecting a nice night-in with the house all to himself.

Axel tossed something that would have looked at home at Harlots Unlimited at his head. "Ass, you're coming with me. And those clothes are going to stand out like a pair of tits in a gaybar."

"…Coming with you??" Roxas dragged the… lingerie off of his head, incredulous.

Axel grinned, a tad too smug. "You heard me."

"No." The blonde's tone was icy. "You don't need me there and I don't need to be there." Axel had gotten him to do a lot of stupid things in the past, but he had to put his foot down. He didn't want to stand around like a moron in what passed for Destiny's largest hook-up and nook-up center, Tortuga. The gaming and movie theatres weren't _in_ the area, technically, but they bordered closely enough that it wasn't uncommon to see couples or group dates in either. He had no doubts that Axel planned to take Riku to the other side. In more ways than one.

"I need an up to date stream of tips. You know. Japanese or Italian, Coke or Pepsi, in the stall or against the back alley wall. 'Sides, it still counts as part of the big favor."

"Don't you usually skip the first two?" Roxas asked dryly.

"Serious, remember?"

Fingering a cashmere sweater in dark wine red, Roxas contemplated Axel's recent statement. He squashed the curious uneasiness that rose up as he thought about Axel going steady with Riku. That meant he'd be seeing _twice_ as much of him, right? But it would do the redhead some good to stay with one boyfriend. Wasn't that why he was helping him out?

Apparently taking his silence for agreement, the jade-eyed male threw a couple of black knots of cloth somewhere in Roxas' general vicinity. "Here, try those on."

Unfolded, the lumps revealed black thigh-high garter-stockings and a checkered thong.

"NO."

--

Two long hours later, Axel dragged a kicking and fuming Roxas out of his apartment, looking oddly proud of every single swear word that dropped from the blonde's lips.

"I didn't teach you all those, where'd the rest come from?"

"Instant inspiration," Roxas spat, glaring up at him and reluctantly making his way down.

"At least you're dressed for the occasion."

"I'm dressed for a _whorehouse_."

"You look fine," Axel replied dismissively.

"I look like a sixpenny _slut,_" Roxas growled, tugging the hem of Axel's sleeveless harlot shirt down. Even with the height differences, the material stopped nearly _5_ inches short of his waist. 5 incredibly self conscious inches of toned skin. The pants were fine, at least. They were baggy and flared out at the bottom- if a bit more stylized than the ones he usually wore. There were zips and laces done up where he had no idea why there would be any need for zips and laces. And was afraid to ask.

Axel grinned. "Perfect."

--

"Video games? This guy doesn't get out much, does he?" Axel commented, hands in pockets and green eyes trained at The Golden Saucer, a popular arcade. Already people were starting to take notice of the redhead. Axel's hair and dark-lined eyes always caught attention, the mysterious and ever-present smile reeling them in. The shirt he'd chosen glimmered faintly silver as the street lights came on, hugging every single curve and plane of Axel's torso and leaving at least two inches between the hem and the start of his equally form-fitting black leather pants, the sides of which had been slashed wide open and done up with red cord. Ivory skin showed clearly between the latticed cord. He'd tossed a short fire engine red leather trench coat on as an after thought- the cold never seemed to bother Axel, though. At least he hadn't gone with the cropped vest and short shorts. Roxas had talked him out of that idea. Much as he didn't care if Riku got a heart attack, it was simply impractical. There wouldn't be any snow again until the end of the year, but the nights could still get a little cold.

Roxas wished he'd thought to bring a jacket. People were staring and whether he liked it or not, he was going to attract attention just by being next to his best friend. There were a couple of girls covered in bangles about three yards away huddled together and whispering while throwing quick glances at them. A little further off a gang of lounging boys seemed to be taking interest. Scowling, Roxas folded his arms. "Clean entertainment exists, Axel."

"Been there, done that. Got bored. And your battle plan, general?" Axel asked, amused. He'd lit a cigarette again.

"Don't smoke," Roxas ordered, plucking the stick from between Axel's lips with no small amount of satisfaction. Vengeance, even small installments of vengeance, was sweet. "Clean-cut athletic types won't appreciate the tar in their lungs."

"What about cum down their throat?" Axel raised a suggestive brow at him.

Roxas suddenly wished he didn't have an imagination.

"You can ask him that, yourself. You'll make up for it one way or another."

The whispering pair suddenly giggled, making Roxas wonder how much of their conversation was reaching them.

"Anyway, just cut the rapist vibes and you'll be fine. Probably."

"Gotcha," the redhead gave him a wide smile and a perfunctory wave, sauntering into the crowds. "Oh, and keep your cel in your pocket. Nothing grabs attention like your crotch vibrating," Axel tossed behind him.

Roxas made mental note to turn the vibrate function off.

Now that Axel was gone, he realized, he looked pretty stupid standing around. Making a face, Roxas decided he might as well follow Axel into the arcade. It was a big, noisy, and overall, _dark_ place. It'd be perfect to hide in. He might as well see if he could beat his old record on the Motorcycle Highway anyway.

--

Watching seemed to have become a habit of his. Try as he might, Roxas couldn't focus on any of his games. At the rate he was going, he'd even lose at Mog House if he tried it. That would have been a crippling blow to any decent gamer's ego, no matter how you looked at it. Throwing kupo nuts to a moogle wasn't exactly the most challenging thing in the world. So here he was, in front of the latest karate game and easily getting creamed by the computer while Axel and Riku were at the station about two seats away.

Riku seemed to have dressed smartly for his solitary arcade visit. He was in a sleeveless black hoodie, a silver dragon pattern embossed at the back. His usual pants had been replaced by trim dark jeans and boots.

"I asked: what are you doing here?" Roxas couldn't tell if it was anger or the exertion of yelling to be heard over the electronic din that made Riku's voice harsh.

"I'm here to see you, of course." One hand around Riku's waist, Axel smiled and slid his hand into Riku's right pocket. "Relax, Rikupo, I don't bite too hard."

"Someone should bite your ass."

"You volunteering?"

Flustering, Riku reached behind him to attempt breaking out of Axel's hold. The redhead grinned and simply pulled him flush against his side. "Here I was hoping you could spare the time to catch a movie with me."

"Right. Somewhere dark with retractable armrests."

"You read my mind."

"I'm not in the mood."

"I felt like dancing, anyway. I know a little place more comfortable than movie seats."

"If I say no?"

Axel leaned down and did something- kissed Riku, he was willing to bet- but Roxas couldn't see without moving obviously closer. It lasted several seconds as Riku hissed something at Axel that was lost in the cacophony. Nonetheless, when Axel walked out, he didn't resist too much.

--

Hollow Bastion was a classy sort of establishment, most days. The interior was discreet, dark hued wood accentuated by glass and mirror strips like cut outs on the walls, but the colorful bean bag chairs and low tables decorated with stylized graffiti added a colorful street touch. It was more a dance club than a bar, although the sleek mahogany and glass paneled strip of a bar on the far left of the room offered alcoholic drinks, if you presented the right ID. Normally, the place was secure and select, offering entrance only to members. Once every month, though, they held an open house night. Without an age limit. It would figure that Axel would bring Riku here on that night.

He'd followed the two of them here without much trouble, Axel's bright red coat a beacon amongst the dark-colored gothic attire or pastels of the other teens. Although to be honest, picking them out from the crowd hadn't been the trouble, as Roxas had anticipated. The trouble had come in the form of the odd ten people who had bumped into him, mysteriously dropping handkerchiefs, watches, hats, and just about anything that wouldn't break upon impact in front of or near him. He'd felt compelled to pick up the last one, a cell phone, that neatly landed in his hood. He'd also felt compelled to mutter a quick "I'm with someone" (Roxas was quite the accomplished liar, thanks) when the hopeful girl who had been staring intently in the general direction of his belt asked if she could buy him something to apologize.

Stepping into the club at last, he sighed. There was a light fog on the dance floor tonight, and even though it was early, the smell of smoke and drink, the factory-clean smell of the air conditioning, and the sweat and perfumes of fast-paced dancers were already mixing in the air. The lights were bouncing from a series of cleverly placed crystals, scattering over the group and playing over pale and dark skin alike. A small crowd yet, promising to be larger still, as the night wore on.

Roxas spotted Riku with his best friend already in the thick of things. Axel was weaving around the other boy, a clearly-written challenge in his eyes and the way he slid his hand around Riku's waist, brushing against him blatantly in the jostle of the other dancers. Riku stared stonily back at him for a few moments, before grudgingly starting to loosen up. Roxas decided to make use of a nearby blue beanbag (past caring that his pants dipped even lower) when he realized that Riku actually _knew_ how to dance. Great. There went his blackmail material. It was absolutely disgusting that a guy like Riku knew how to bend and move like that, anyway, his silver hair catching colors in the neon lights.

Turning to the table, he picked up one of the complimentary peanuts, ignoring everything he'd picked up about food and drink do's and don'ts in club-bars, and popping it into his mouth, irritated. He'd probably have to get a drink soon, too, thirsty from the salt in the nuts. Rolling to his feet and dodging someone's pinwheeling attempt at dancing, he headed for the bar and ordered some juice. The bartender shot him a look, duly ignored, and readied the drink within a minute, deft hands working quickly.

It might have been three or so songs when Axel appeared at the bar, the sweat glistening slightly on his throat as he ordered a bottle of water and "sex on the beach" with a smirking smile. Roxas didn't speak to him, busying himself instead with the last of his juice and slurping loudly.

Somehow or the other, in the course of the past half hour, Roxas had gotten hit on by 5 girls and seven guys, all of which had tried to either grab (and/or pinch) his ass or corner him somewhere dark. One had grabbed the laces on his pants and nearly succeeded, until Roxas had very cheerfully stepped on his sandaled foot and flipped him the finger somewhere painful. After that, none of them had been particularly forceful.

Needless to say, he wasn't feeling kindly towards his best friend at the moment. Stupid Axel with his whore wardrobe probably had something to do with tonight's casualty rate.

"I see you're up to the usual," Axel commented, taking a long draught of the water bottle before sipping the alcoholic drink he'd ordered. "A grumpy face like that will just attract the pedos, you know."

"People were trying to grope me."

"And?"

"…"

"Just be glad you didn't wear the bunny suit with the flip-up tail." Axel winked and finished the last of his drink, quickly ordering another bottle of something else.

When Roxas simply gave him a flatly withering look, Axel sighed and leaned against the lamp post. "Why are you so worked up, anyway? It's not like you haven't gone clubbing before. You worried about Riku seeing you or something?"

"I didn't look like I worked for twenty bucks, then," Roxas scowled, ignoring the second question. He didn't care about Riku anymore. His thoughts turned to the previous times he'd been in here. He'd gone with Axel a couple of times, when the jade-eyed teen had first started going to these things-he'd been thirteen, then. But he'd never gotten a taste for it. Not the way Axel did. Eventually, he'd told Axel as much. To be fair, the redhead hadn't let him get raped in someone's back seat.

"True. You were jailbait. Still kinda do look it."

"I was thirteen…"

"You can take care of yourself, now." It's not quite a question.

"…Yeah."

Taking the bottle he'd ordered from the barkeep, Axel smiled enigmatically and made his way back to the dance floor. Roxas frowned after him, leaning against a nearby wall that had been camouflaged by a few chunky pieces of club decor. What was he thinking…?

"New here?" A smooth voice cut in. A guy, probably around Axel's age, was standing casually beside him. He was dressed in a simple open white silk shirt, the collar and sleeves flaring in a way reminiscent of ruffles. It would have looked a little baggy, if he hadn't worn a richly-embroidered lace-up vest over it, accentuating the lithe build of his torso rather than hiding it. His pants were tight black suede with a simple cross of belts about his hips. He must have glued the leather on, Roxas concluded. Or whatever it was Axel did to pour himself into his own pants. (He'd missed asking earlier after being traumatized by the fur g-string he'd found. )In the stranger's hand was a smoking neon blue drink in the club's custom-shaped decanters (they called them potions, he remembered).

"Mute, too?" the stranger smiled easily, "I go by Balthier."

"…I'm not here for what you're thinking." Roxas watched him warily.

"You don't say…" The man's eyes drifted down Roxas' body and not for the first time that night, the blonde felt acutely aware of the way the cloth strained over his chest; the snug fit of the pants just under his ass, before it flared out. And of course, the goddamn sheer amount of skin he was showing with the flat-toned expanse of his stomach bare, the dip of his belly button the only thing marring it's smooth surface. He barely resisted the urge to cover himself up with his hands. Dammit. He'd always told Axel his clothes gave other people the wrong idea. He'd be lucky not to get abducted by some dirty old man in a blacked out Mercedes after this.

"Back off."

A strange smile quirking his lips, Balthier leaned down, the arm with the drink bracing itself against the wall. Roxas shifted a little nervously, pressing back against the smooth, cold wall. This close, Roxas noticed the twisted silver earrings and the thin, barely-visible chain wrapped around his neck. Balthier smelled of musk and something vaguely spicy and red wine. Without quite meaning to, Roxas realized he could see the lightly tanned skin of his chest and slightly darker shadows of his nipples as his shirt fell open. The sight was disturbingly exciting. Freaked, he looked away, training his eyes at a couple in matching zebra print outfits. He decided to ignore the passing resemblance to the principal.

"Are you so sure?" the older male chuckled. Warm but strong fingers tilted his chin up, coasting down his throat to his waist, and splaying on the small of Roxas' back. Balthier ignored the quick glare Roxas threw at him as a warning. About to bring his knee up hard, Roxas stopped when he saw the amused look in his eyes. Like he was daring him to do it. Like he'd been forewarned.

Balthier didn't exactly look like the type to casually pick people up. A flirt, definitely, by the way he smiled, the wry curl of his smirk. If anything, he reminded him of someone Axel might know…

Suddenly, all the pieces clicked.

Roxas scowled. Axel, that _bastard_.

Dressing up and bringing him here suddenly made sense. It was another of Axel's mad plans to hook him up with one of his friends. It was exactly the sort of thing Axel would do without telling him. The pyro _had_ commented on Roxas' state of frigid singledom, going so far as to ask him if he wanted to take Professor Vexen to a erotophobia therapy group meeting. He wondered how many of the others he'd dispatched earlier had been friends of his. He was willing to bet the guy with the cowboy hat had been one.

"I don't know what Axel told you, but I'm not—" Roxas cut off suddenly, the rest of the words condensing into a startled and undignified yelp. Balthier had just blatantly squeezed his ass. (And when the hell had he pushed his shirt up or gotten his belt loose?)

"…Roxas?" A familiar, if slightly winded voice made him stiffen against the older man's body.

It just wasn't his week.

He didn't have to look past Balthier to know it was Riku.

**--**

**Author's Rambles:**

Erotophobia fear of love/sexual love (ref. The Indexed Phobia List)

Random crack pairing is random. I honestly hadn't planned Balthier's appearance, but all the FFXII must be getting to me. Also a couple of shameless puns, one of which may be more carefully hidden. Phil being the regular gym teacher is one of my fic jokes. I don't know why. Perhaps my subconscious simply rejected the image of Lexaeus in shorts.

Unbetaed again. Feels a little rough around the edges. DX Point out the mistakes, please, as usual. Anyway. Eeps, well, this one took a while. . The date scene turned out rather differently from my first imaginings and it ended up a wee bit too long for me. I think this chapters slightly longer than previous ones as well... All the same, I think I'll try to get the next chapter out faster. It's summer!:D **EDIT: summer term has started and it's more hectic than I thought it would be. Sorry guys, I think this'll take another week or so with current upheavals in my world to boot. **

Ah, and you can probably tell, but the dressing up scene was written first. XD;; So much fun to do, though! Who knows what else lies in Axel's closet.

Aaanything else? Hm. Well I also haven't been following a strict school or culture flow. I think I alternate between Japanese and American and Some Parts My Own Exp for what I write about those things. Since I pretty much cobble things as I go, perhaps it's a little apparent. You guys might be surprised at what turns up useful to notice, later on, though And yes, I do plan to have this in Roxas POV all the way. The reason for which will become glaringly obvious later on, if not already so now. Actually, if you have an idea why, feel free to tell me. XD

Oh, and I've been thinking—are there any questions, whacks to the head, gushing praise, kicks where it hurts to the character muses? Axel, Riku, Roxas, etc. I think it might be fun to do what some authors do with making the chapters a bit more interactive, ala reader fanmail I'm also considering ideas for some 'filler' or fluff chapters coming up ahead, so if you have any ideas, I wouldn't mind hearing them. :D

Also, anyone interested in my doodles can hit my DeviantArt page. Some 'concept sketches' (i.e. I was bored and had paper) for chapter 3 are in the scraps section and Sixpenny Sluts should be in the sketches in the gallery proper. XD; I 'll be uploading the scraps in a bit after posting this. I've also made snippets of omakes here and there and a few nc-17 drabble starts that are spin-offs from these. Of course, some snippets done for Flipping, too.

Welps, comments/reviews? :D


	5. Come Calling

**Nobody's Fool**

_Fantacination _

**Trick V**

**Come A-Calling**

**Warnings**: This chapter includes a **crossdressing** (denoted by **+--** instead of the usual divider) scene. You can skip the scene if you like, though. Also the original scene of Roxas in the **shower** has been **edited** in keeping with the tone of the story (and hopefully, the rating). Rating change will be pending. I'm pondering whether or not to upload the original at the end of everything along with a few other scene ideas. ;P

--

Roxas snapped.

He stomped down on Balthier's foot, bringing his other knee up in a classic move guaranteed to leave guys cupping their crotches before a hand pressed down on his knee very insistently. "None of that," Balthier said, chagrined. "I've been warned." The blonde boy could guess who had been so kind as to give the heads up about a best friend's bite.

He'd kill Axel for this, later. Right now, he didn't have the breath to waste. Roxas straightened his leg out and hooked it over one of Balthier's knees, jerking roughly. Luckily, he caught the man by surprise, and he was able to twist away from the wall as the vested man fought to regain his bearings.

Riku was still looking on, stunned. Tendrils of mercury hair had stuck to his sweaty face. Even his long, dark (did he use mascara?) eyelashes seemed to be damper than usual. His eyes _weren't_ wide open. But they were still and unblinking. Someone- Roxas suspected Axel- had made a few adjustments to his outfit. His shirt was a little messy, the collar pulled wide open and his jeans scrunched onto his hips. Was that to fit in the club atmosphere? Then again, Roxas supposed Axel could have just been trying to get some on the dance floor.

"Move," he said briefly, glaring up at Riku.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Balthier straighten and prop himself up against the wall, one leg half-crossed behind him, just looking on. Was he amused? Or did Axel just tell him to try his luck and no more?

Riku seemed to come to, eyes darting about like one caught doing something bad. Roxas frowned. There wasn't any reason for him to be guilty, except… He knew next to nothing about Riku's family, but his coach probably wouldn't approve of him in anything close to a bar. Even as clean a club as Hollow Bastion. He snorted derisively. _Caught with your hand in the cookie jar? _ He'd be seeing more of it, if Axel had his way.

Feeling his temper resurge, Roxas stiffly moved around Riku, not really caring that he had to bump him aside.

"…Wait!" Riku turned as he went, catching Roxas' wrist. The blonde looked flatly at his hand, pointedly and silently demanding it gone.

"…Listen, I'm sorry."

It took Roxas a few moments to realize what he meant. If anything, the apology irritated him more than the actual gym incident had. He snapped his wrist roughly out of Riku's hand like it was burned, the skin he'd scraped tingling in slight pain.

"You've gotta be kidding me." Leaving that cold statement behind, Roxas stalked past him and disappeared into the crowd. Someone, he thought Balthier, was laughing, gently and lowly, a gentleman's laugh. Axel certainly had his pick of friends.

Roxas pushed past twin goth girls and a man who looked like he was very badly imitating a bunnygirl (he was teetering on black stilettos that looked sharp enough to kill), reaching the back exit and pushing past it into the cold night air. He exhaled, breathing in the crisp, clean air. The club had been stifling, even with the air conditioning on. He probably reeked of it, himself. It wasn't a comforting thought. The back exit led to a mid-sized alley- mostly clean, though he'd want to skirt past the dumpster against the west wall. A few peeling posters, dirt and what were probably puke stains were scattered on the worn dusty red brick. A giggle and some low whispers alerted him to the presence of a couple a few meters back, up against the alley wall. One of them had cat ears and the other had blonde streaked black hair. Sighing, Roxas ignored them and turned to get back on the main streets.

"You're quite a handful."

Wheeling, the blonde twin faced the voice abruptly. Balthier was standing just outside the exit, the sudden blast of music accompanying him like fanfare. He closed the door, the throb of the music abruptly muffled.

"I'm not sure I envy the man who manages to tame you."

"…Do you have a point?" Balthier didn't look like the type to run after someone just to needle them. Not without encouragement, anyway. "And I'm not interested in men."

Balthier chuckled. "Several points, in fact. But I don't think you'd appreciate my sentiments." Balthier smiled. Roxas suddenly saw how this man and Axel might be able to get along. "As for the other- you're already wandering blind."

Cryptic. He was definitely one of Axel's friends. "Tell Axel this balances out the favor I owe him." Axel wouldn't say sorry. Roxas didn't expect that (and Axel had done this sort of thing too many times to count).

"He knows. The same way he told me you'd find out."

Throwing him a dark look, Roxas crossed his arms and frowned at him. "Then why did you even bother?"

"You're not exactly repulsive." Balthier stepped up and tucked something into Roxas' pocket, still smelling like warm spiced cologne. He paused for a few moments- probably to let it sink in- and went back to the door, twisting the knob open. "If things shift, call me. I'll be your leading man."

Roxas watched him disappear into the club again, making it seem like a cunning exit, stage left. Then he shook his head and turned for home. He was done with this whole mess.

Roxas wasn't anybody's fool. Not Axel's. Not Riku's.

--

"Mornin' Darliiiiiing!"

Jerking out of sleep, Roxas became aware of a sudden lack of air and a pinch to his (still sore and much-abused) ass.

"Wguh?"

"Aw, honey, I love you, too! Did you miss me?" Roxas stared perplexedly into a bright mass of pink and dark brown hair before he realized one very important thing. His mother was home. And currently asphyxiating him to her bosom.

"I told you I'd be back before your birthday!"

Reiko was a cheerful woman with large blue eyes. Her wavy hair was a brown that matched Sora's almost exactly. They'd inherited a lot of her looks ,much to the boys' mortification. Sora, in particular, had inherited some of her sunny personality. _Too sunny,_ Roxas grumbled. She smelled like vanilla and cinnamon- like baking, even though couldn't bake to save her life. Although, he had to admit, he'd missed her a little. Crazy as she was. The fuzzy warm feeling usually lasted a few days before he found an excuse to stay with someone else for a while.

Pushing himself out of the tight headlock, Roxas took in his mother's beaming face, wisps of smoky curls escaping from the pencils-and-pens up-knot. Today, she'd swapped her business-like journalist powersuit for an old shirt and jeans under a big frilly pink apron that said "Best Mom In The World" and "Pushing Boys Out of the Closet for Their Own Good" right underneath, stitched on badly with hot pink thread. Some of the letters were barely recognizable- which was probably for the best.

She kissed the top of his head and ruffled his hair. "I missed both of my boys- and I have presents for you two!" Roxas didn't like the sound of that. She always took home 'presents' from her trips- and he and Sora had mutually agreed to never let anyone see any of them. They discreetly stowed most of them away in the garage after their mom left for her next assignment.

"But first," she pulled back and looked at him, a serious look on her face, "tell me the truth, Roxie, did you sleep with a man last night?"

Groaning, Roxas sat up in bed, propping his head sleepily on his knees. "No, mom," he replied flatly, used to the scrutiny. His mother's skills as a journalist were unquestionable, down to the interrogation. Both brothers had gotten used to her questions as soon as they were old enough to understand what 'special sleeping' was.

His mother pounced. "You don't need to be ashamed of it, baby! I already know- look what I found in your club clothes!" Crowing triumphantly, she produced a crisp white card. '_Balthier_' was emblazoned across the top in strong black cursive.

Before Roxas could recall what a Balthier was and what it could _possibly_ be doing in his _pants_, his mom was already chattering away.

"Now honey, I know it's very exciting the first time, but you should really carry condoms with you," she admonished cheerfully. "That way they can have their wicked way with you and you don't have to worry about anything but moaning." Chirruping, she plumped Roxas' pillows and hugged him again, dewy tears in her eyes. "I'm so proud of you!"

She bounced onto her feet and traipsed through the door with Roxas' laundry in her arms. "I just know you'll love these new custom condoms I picked up! Funny thing too, the man who was selling them had all these red bandages…" she trailed off, then shrugged.

"Remember: safe sex is more sex!" Then she tripped over the threshold. Laughing like an undaunted small child, she got up again and went down the stairs.

Sora waltzed into the room a few seconds later, wearing a shirt that proclaimed "RAINBOW RAUNCH" in sparkly multi-colored writing. He handed a similar shirt (but in black) to Roxas.

"Mom's back," he informed him.

The lighter haired twin stared at the shirt and collapsed back onto the pillows. Maybe if he screwed his eyes shut and knocked himself out with a lamp, he'd be able to get another hour of sleep.

Eventually, Roxas realized that between the loud, off-key singing downstairs and the tantalizing smell of blueberry pancakes, sleep was impossible. Yawning, he padded downstairs to maybe get something to eat and fortify himself against the slew of new questions his mother would pitch at him until he managed to convince her he hadn't lost his virginity in a seedy club back alley.

Although he probably couldn't say the same for some other people. Blinking, he wondered if… No, it wasn't his business any more. Axel could take it from here.

Roxas wasn't even sure why he'd reacted so violently last night. He had a nagging feeling that the answer would hit him rather unpleasantly at the opportune moment. Just not _his_ opportune moment. Worse, his anger seemed to have left him, leaving him deflated and confused. Roxas was perfectly logical. He'd gotten used to being the grounded one, the matter-of-fact buffer for his flighty twin, sometimes-insane best friend, and Hayner's little fits of fanatical Seifer-bashing. He was levelheaded and streetwise. There was no reason for him to have mood swings. Absolutely none. But Riku…

Biting his lip, he poured maple syrup thickly onto the stack of pancakes Sora (who was helping their mother) set before him, helping himself to a generous pat of butter with his other hand (being ambidextrous had its perks).

He barely noticed that his plate was already overflowing with syrup, the pancakes resembling islands in the sticky brown sea until Sora snickered and his mother smiled mischievously. "Leave your brother alone, Sora, he's going through a very important stage." She put a plate of cut fruit on the table. Heart-shaped fruit. Roxas blinked at it. A quick glance at the pancakes told him that those had been shaped into blobby hearts as well.

Great. He had always wanted to eat hearts for breakfast.

"Maybe he's in looooove," Sora sing-songed, dodging the glare Roxas sent him.

"I'm not." Sometimes Roxas wished his brain worked a little better in the morning. Then he wouldn't have to resort to childish whining.

"Are _too_," two voices chimed. Scowling darkly, Roxas speared his syrup-drenched heart pancakes on a fork and stuffed his mouth full to avoid answering, swallowing the entire thick, sticky mess down with some milk.

The phone rang, prompting Roxas to take the opportunity to get away from the table. "I'll get it." Hightailing out of the kitchen, he reached for the robin's egg blue telephone receiver, jamming it to his ear. "'lo?"

"Hello, Roxas?"

The blonde could have kicked himself. It was Riku.

"Sora's eating. I'll call him." He put the phone down on the table, not waiting to get a reply. "Sora, it's for you!" He stomped back into the kitchen and busied himself with breakfast.

Sora looked up from his own mouthful of pancakes- he always overate when their mom was around- with a muffled "shfmu?" He ran out of the kitchen, fighting to swallow his breakfast and breathe at the same time.

Their mother sat down on the third seat, neatly wrapping some fruit inside a pancake like a crepe. They weren't very neatly made, but it was the thought that counted. Probably.

"What's that for?" Roxas asked, pointing a fork at the creation.

"We're having company!"

"…Company?"

"You remember the Kisiragi's, right? Your cousins? It's the funniest thing, but their parents and a couple of friends are going to Wutai- diplomatic business, and they couldn't take the kids so…"

Roxas could see where this was going. "How long?"

"Who knows?" Singing some pop tune, she laved some honey and cream onto her finished wraps and settled saran wrap over the whole plate.

Roxas shut his eyes.

The Kisiragi's were nice- Yuffie absolutely adored Sora and clung to him like a small black bur when she wasn't poking around their rooms trying to find 'hidden treasure'. The friends were probably Selphie Tilmitt and baby Ashe Dalmasca. They were all... 'sweet' girls, but they were also very exhausting ones. He wouldn't be sleeping in anymore.

"Mom," Sora announced, "Riku's staying over for a few days again!"

Riku? Staying over again? Roxas felt his spoon drop out of his lax grip in mitigated horror. After all that drama last night, he wasn't sure he was looking forward to meeting him again so soon.

"That's wonderful!"

"But what about the girls?" Roxas pointed out quickly.

"What about them?" Reiko asked, eyes widely innocent at him.

"We won't have room for _all_ of them."

"Nonsense, Roxas," his mother replied loftily, "you boys will just have to double up in bed, that's all." She fished a banana from the pile of fruit she had cut up into hearts. "While we're waiting, do you want to practice your deepthroating? I have a nice video that should show you some tips," she commented brightly.

Roxas never had to be reminded why his mom and Axel got along so well, the few times they met.

+--

The girls arrived in the early afternoon, glomping both twins and their mother before dragging Roxas off to 'play'.

"Roxiiiie, you have to _pout,_" Where two little girls less than ten learned make up was beyond Roxas. As it was, as soon as the girls had arrived and swarmed all over him and Sora, he'd been caught, wrestled to the sofa amidst shrieks of glee, and was currently being poked and prodded with the makeup kit his own mother had cheerfully provided. He didn't really want to know where they'd found a dress in his size. Or the boots either.

Sora, the lucky one, had managed to escape with a couple of very earnest promises to tell them stories later before bedtime. He'd run out the door as soon as they agreed.

Selphie screwed up her face and did her Most Menacing Glare, known to scare her male classmates into servile silence. It was frightening, on a girl of eight. Then again, she _was_ related to Kairi. "I'm gonna put Shimmering Rose Pearl on your lips, so you _have_ to pout so I can put it on _right_." Selphie declared, exasperatedly waving the red wand of lip gloss in her hand. It looked disturbingly phallic, as far as Roxas was concerned. Down to the blushing tip. The curly-haired brunette was on the other side of Roxas' lap from Yuffie, avoiding crinkling the black dress they'd forced onto him with the fastidious ease of a finicky make-up artist.

"What if I don't _want _ shimmering rose pearl on my lips?" Roxas muttered darkly, wincing when Selphie abandoned the lip gloss for a lash curler. He felt like a doll. A very abused and battered doll.

"Then we'll call your mama down and tell her you wanna see her latest DVDs," Yuffie replied cheerfully.

Roxas blanched. His mother had fully made the girls initiates into her own priesthood. He wasn't particularly looking forward to being made to watch marathons.

Yuffie giggled and stopped attacking Roxas' hair- also known as trying to comb it down with his mother's wooden-backed hairbrush.

"…Fine." He intensely hoped that he'd be able to sneak away and shower the gunk off before his mother sent him on errands. The last thing he wanted was to walk around looking like a trannie in Traverse.

Squealing, the girls moved in on their prey, brushing color with an insane artist's glee. Roxas closed his eyes and tried not to think about it too much.

"Ta-dah!" Selphie crowed. "Lookie, lookie! You look soooooo pretty!" Someone shoved a handheld mirror into his hand and Roxas opened his eyes a little fearfully.

Someone had upended a bucket of rainbow powder over his head.

His left eye had green eye shadow while his right one had blue, speckled with gold. His cheeks had been colored a red to rival tomatoes, looking like a permanent and very bad blush, and while the girls had eschewed mascara, they'd somehow managed to make his eyelashes ridiculously curled and long and…girly looking. His lips _sparkled_.

Like a freaking Christmas tree fairy in a florid pink tutu and gold tinsel.

"He needs more of that stuff," Yuffie told Selphie, pointing to the sleek compact with the various blush-toned compressed powder on it.

"You're right!… Smile, Roxie! We have to see your cheek things."

It couldn't get any worse. It just couldn't. Roxas managed a strained smile, hoping to gods that this would be the last and promising himself a very good scrub in the bathroom.

Thump.

Roxas whirled. On the threshold, his bag on the floor, was Riku, shaking with laughter.

Calling himself seven kinds of idiot for tempting fate, Roxas let his head fall back on the cushions.

"Who's that? She's pretty," Yuffie piped up.

"That's Riku, _he's_ Sora's friend," Selphie declared loftily. The last time she'd met Riku, a couple of years back, she'd thought he was a girl. Riku had had to play prince for her to let go of the notion. Kairi still had the pictures.

"He's ok—I know! He can be Roxie's prince!"

"_What_?" Roxas choked.

"Every princess needs one," Yuffie replied, matter-of-fact. "Come on, Roxie, we need to see how you guys look."

Roxas decided he really wanted to sink into the sofa right about now. With any luck, he'd suffocate. As if letting Riku see him in yesterday's clubbing clothes wasn't bad enough, now he had to see him _crossdressing_. His ego twitched in its grave.

With much fuss, the girls pushed Roxas onto his teetering high-heeled lace-up boots (also a present from his mother.) He wobbled, acutely aware of how ridiculous he looked in the fitted bodice that laced up at the back, the neckline low below the thick black ribbon that served as a choker. The skirt was appallingly short, flaring out over his slender bare thighs (he'd flat out refused to put on the stockings. There were limits to lack of dignity.)

Riku came over at the girls' request, fighting his laugh unsuccessfully. He was wearing a black muscle shirt and a blue-trimmed white jacket over black jeans, which the girls approved of- apparently it matched the color scheme.

Riku, the bastard, was getting into the whole thing. He caught Roxas when he almost tripped over the heels, steadying him with a hand at his shoulder and catching his wrist with the other. He bowed over the hand and pressed his lips gently to the back.

"Are you alright? _Princess_." The touch was light, dry, and warmer than he'd thought, Riku's breath fanning over his hand.

"I _told_ you he was a good prince," Selphie declared in a stage whisper.

Roxas couldn't see Riku's eyes from behind the curtain of silver hair, but he was fairly certain he was smirking. His right eye twitched.

"Nice legs," he added teasingly.

Roxas punched him.

Unfortunately, he overbalanced while swinging, falling against Riku right after the solid hit landed on his shoulder and toppling them both over onto the sofa.

There was an awkward silence wherein Roxas found himself with his head jammed between Riku's shoulder and chin, straddling the other boy's legs and Riku had somehow ended up with his hands clutching Roxas' slender waist

And _why_ did he suddenly feel breathlessly giddy? His heart pounded in his ears as his mind raced to figure out what was happening.

"I see London, I see France, I see Roxie's underpants" Yuffie sang gleefully.

"Now Roxie can't be anybody's bride!" Selphie added.

Riku coughed. Roxas strongly suspected he was still laughing.

"You'll have to marry him instead, Riku!"

--

The events that followed after that, as far as Roxas was concerned, were nothing short of a massive headache. He hadn't wanted to think about Riku, much less about Riku in that way. The thought made his stomach queasy with unease.

The sole mercy of the entire escapade was that his mother had been out getting dinner. She had been thrilled, nonetheless, and lamented the lack of pictures for her album. Then she'd brightly announced that she remembered where their baby pictures were, and wouldn't _everyone_ like to take a look?

Roxas and Sora managed to divert everyone's attention to dinner in time. Afterwards, they sat around the living room watching TV and eating ice cream. Reiko had gone out to get ice cream and the girls attacked their cups of chocolate and strawberry with much gusto. Sora opted for rocky road, while Roxas stuck to a bar of sea salt ice cream, ignoring his mother's wicked grin. Reiko had also gotten exotic flavors, one of which was something called Paopu. Riku had taken that one with some surprise. ("It's my favorite.")

The rest of the evening had passed quietly until bedtime. Roxas and Sora had both wrestled the two serviceable sleeping bags from the attic, tidied up enough space for it in Sora's room, and decided who was going to sleep where- except no amount of cajoling would convince Yuffie to trade places ("I want to hear Sora's stories! You really suck at bedtime stories, Roxie!"). To which Selphie had cried that she wanted to hear, too. The long and short of it was, Roxas found himself in his room, staring at a somewhat awkward Riku and feeling a distinct downward turn to his migraine.

Selphie and Yuffie were sharing one of the huge sleeping bags, leaving Riku with the other, currently a black bulky pallet on the floor. Riku bent over the bag, fixing it up with a little difficulty.

"Are you still angry? We're even now." Riku's voice cut through the stillness, sharply blunt. Roxas looked at him from where he was sitting on the bed, one knee up. Riku and Sora had one thing in common- a startling transparency in their eyes. He couldn't read Riku like he did his twin, of course. Riku's hair sometimes got in the way or he'd look away. But it was there, all the same. Sometimes, he wasn't sure if Riku could lie. Although he supposed it depended on how well he believed the lie.

Right now, with Riku looking straight at him, all he could see was something like a disconcerting concern.

Roxas breathed out. There wasn't any point to adding awkwardness to the household. "No. I don't hold a lot of grudges." He paused. "But I'd still punch you again."

Riku laughed quietly. "Good enough for me." He reached back and loosened the hairtie that secured the loose ponytail he'd put his hair into. The long strands fell around his face, leaving Roxas strongly reminded of a shampoo commercial. He slid into the sleeping bag, already dressed in a shirt and pants Reiko had dug out from her travel luggage. This set had targets in very interesting positions.

"You can turn off the lights."

Roxas nodded and flicked his lamp off, shrouding the room in darkness. Burying himself in between the thick layers of the quilt, he stared at the long black shadow that was Riku's back, very faintly outlined in the moonlight.

"Why are you here?" Roxas asked suddenly, surprising himself.

Riku didn't seem to hear him, for a while, his face turned away from his.

"If it's you… I'll tell you, soon."

The boy on the bed almost sat up in surprise- instead, he let it be. He didn't like not knowing something (particularly if it was about himself), but that didn't mean he couldn't understand keeping something to yourself.

--

Roxas sighed and reached up, threading through long silky hair and pulling it close, breath hitching when he felt slender fingers working on his pants. It was close and dark and he really couldn't see, but that didn't matter much when hands started up his shirt, brushing against pert nipples and a wet, warm tongue was suddenly on his neck, down to the dip of his collarbone and the planes of his chest. Making a soft sound, Roxas found himself yanking on the soft hair and kissing pliant lips, an edge of hardness tucked into the corners. He swept his tongue into that mouth and found another pushing him back, sucking on his bottom lip and biting it gently, prompting a small, but pleasurable tingle.

The hands were back, slipping into his pants and teasingly rubbing against the soft smooth _sensitive_ skin on his inner thighs. Impatient, Roxas bucked his hips, forcing a startled intake of breath. He didn't pay attention to it, leaning into the warmth, instead, and feeling firm flesh against him and instinctively grinding against it.

Waking with a start, Roxas realized that the sun was already up and so was he. Not that it was a sunny day. Rain clouds hovered low, just waiting to burst, and the birds were chirping wetly in the trees. A glance at the bedside clock told him it was nearly nine in the morning- an unprecedented sleep-in. He frowned, turning his gaze down his bed. That was when he became aware of his little problem. The blonde groaned and sat up, glaring balefully at the unwelcome bulge between his legs that was clamoring for attention. He couldn't even remember what he could have dreamed to make it happen.

It was a good thing his mother hadn't seen. Or for that matter—Suddenly alarmed, Roxas looked around him. Riku's pallet had been made up and looked as neat as the night before- the boy who'd slept in it was nowhere in sight.

He wouldn't have seen… Roxas slept on his side, most of the time. He wouldn't have seen. Repeating this firmly to himself and not bothering to ask why he felt paranoid, Roxas got up and walked as quickly as he could into the bathroom across the hall from his room.

Reaching the pale blue and white tiled shower, Roxas immediately turned the knob to spray a jet of freezing cold water on himself- as icy as he could stand. He gasped and shivered violently as the water struck him, coursing down his body and picking up heat. The problem went away after that, much to his relief.

He squeezed out an amount of shampoo onto his hand and started rubbing it into his hair, taking his time. His hair was short enough that it didn't really require much maintenance, like Sora's, the strange way his hair stuck up was completely natural- whether they liked it or not.

…_reached up, threading through long silky hair_

Roxas stopped, eyes staring at the patterned tiles of the shower. …What? Who… The dream? But who…

"Roxas?" Riku called out, voice muffled through the wall.

Riku? Roxas started and almost slipped, managing to catch himself on the wall in time. His cheeks felt warm, the sudden image of silver hair and green eyes juxtaposed into that snippet of dream. Of all the times…! His heartbeat sped up- out of adrenaline or embarrassment, he wasn't sure.

"Roxas? Your mom said she wanted you to do some shopping for her after your shower." He'd apparently become the family messenger.

"I'll be right down," Roxas called back.

Riku didn't reply, his message delivered, the sound of his footsteps announced his departure.

Roxas finished up, soaping and rinsing quickly. He paused in front of the bathroom mirror on his way out. Hanks of blonde hair dripped into his eyes, clinging to his face and neck, heavy with water. His cheeks were still a little flushed and his eyes seem brighter than usual. Bluer, the thick, dark blonde lashes caught with tiny beads of water. He scowled and took a towel from the stand, toweling dry.

He resolved to push the mental image to the very blackest back corner of his mind where it would hopefully shrivel from lack of sunlight. Freak coincidences happened. He didn't have to dwell on them.

--

When Roxas got back, having endured the curious stares of the salesclerks after he asked for an assortment of things his mother _should_ have known better than to ask her teenaged _son_ to get for her, Sora was on the couch, curlers vainly trying to stick onto his hair.

Yuffie and Selphie were hanging onto his hands, busily painting them different shades of pink and violet. "Riku's gone!" Sora blurted out. The girls scowled when he made a wild gesture with his hands.

"Stay still!" Selphie ordered.

"It's probably nothing," Roxas said slowly, wondering why Sora was so worked up and setting the shopping down where his mother would see it. If the lacy pink strawberry-print bra (packaged neatly in transparent plastic) peeking out of the top didn't alert her.

"I know, but he hasn't been himself, lately, you know?"

"No," Roxas answered promptly. Then bit his tongue. He did know. Sort of. "He didn't tell you where he was going?"

"He didn't." Sora frowned deeply. "Could you look for him? Just to see if he's ok and if he's coming back here. I'm worried, and…" he made a face and indicated the little girls hanging off either arm.

_We're whipped by eight year olds who think Barbie should be queen of the world,_ Roxas thought in chagrin. "Fine, but I don't even know where he lives."

" 14 Beach Drive- it's a green house with a white gate- can't miss it."

Roxas sighed and set out again. At least he didn't have to change, he supposed. And there was no telling what would happen if he remained at home when Selphie and Yuffie tired of playing with Sora's hair. He took a shortcut through the park, reasoning the faster he had this done with ,the faster he'd be able to get home.

A huge silvery blue gray dog leaped on top of Roxas, barking madly, paws against Roxas' upper chest. Shaggy, floppy ears hung on either side of a friendly canine face, the black, wet nose busily snuffling in the front pocket of Roxas' dark blue hoodie. The enormous plume of a tail wagged back and forth briskly, obviously much pleased.

"I don't have food on me," Roxas muttered, ruffling the dog's head anyway. He was a lot bigger, now. When he'd found him, he'd been curled up into a tiny, mangy ball in the back alley gutter of the Item Shop, shivering in the cold rain. He'd been barely a month old, then, cut up from lost fights with older dogs, cats, and metal wire rubbish from the trashcan. He looked healthier: glossy fur, thick ruff around his neck, tamed by a wide red band with a slim silver coindrop of a dogtag. Pushing the dog back to all fours on the sidewalk so he could move, Roxas knelt and examined the pendant, lifting it with a finger.

"I still can't believe they called you _Setzer_," he told the dog.

Setzer yipped and lifted a leg to scratch himself, mouth open in a wolfish dog grin.

But if Setzer was out here, then that meant Riku would be nearby.

Roxas looked around. The park was surprisingly empty for such a fine day. The rain clouds had retreated slightly, leaving a day that was bright enough that it was noticeably daytime, cloudy enough that it was cool. A brisk breeze herded dry leaves along the pathway, like a shepherd driving brown sheep. There were a couple of kids in the playground, puttering about in the sandbox and excitedly gesticulating (Roxas gathered it had something to do with birds). A dozing mother sat on a bench nearby, obviously exhausted by her young charges, hands folded neatly in her lap and a couple of bags at her feet. It wasn't a terribly big park- the engineers had abandoned the development of the land halfway through. And you could practically see everything by being at the center- exactly where he was right now. But with no silver-haired teenager in sight.

_Now if I were a personality-handicapped angsty golden boy, where would I go? _

…_Oh, hell._

Roxas snorted and headed for the lake. Not the one with the bridge and the overfed ducks, misshapen toy sail boats still floating and caught amongst the reeds- the other lake, the one that was tucked deep into the forest that hadn't been cleared away for the park. It was a little tricky to get to, but he wove through the paths and undergrowth with a surefooted step, brushing past the ferns and bushes that had grown up to cover bits of the path since he'd last been there. Setzer seemed to know the path as well as he did, though he whined when burs got stuck in his tail and fur.

The trees in this part of the park cut off most of the light, leaving the place looking dark, haunted and creepy. Roxas had never minded it- it was what had drawn him to the enclave in the first place. Finally, he turned at an old, weathered stone and saw the lake spread in front of him. A small spring fed the lake, just as the lake fed into another, though Roxas wasn't sure where it led to. He thought it might be an estuary, though. The entire place was ringed by trees- graceful weeping willows in particular. Tiny fleeting shadows, fish, darted in the water, visible even in the dim half-light. Everything was just as it used to be. With the exception of the long, pale figure curled up against the dark bark of a tree near the edge.

Setzer yipped and headed straight for Riku, pouncing on him like he was a particularly large and cuddly bone. Roxas smiled without meaning to, feet crunching in the dense layers of leaves underneath as he walked over to the wrestling pair.

"Set, stop that," Riku said, exasperated. His emo moment ruined, he now sat against the tree, Setzer on his lap, happily transferring all his burs onto Riku's person. He looked up abruptly when Roxas arrived, eyes narrowed in confusion.

"How'd you find me?"

Roxas snorted and sat down on the floor a little to the side of Riku. "You're in my spot."

"Your spot?"

"Yeah. I used to come here when I fought with Sora and wanted to be alone." The words slipped out before he meant them to. Roxas frowned. This place had always had a strange and calming effect on him. He'd used to think it was another world entirely. The first time he'd been here had been an accident. He'd run into the woods, furious, and didn't stop until suddenly there was nowhere else to go. He'd thrown himself down on the edge of the lake and hurled rocks one after the other into the middle of the lake, scaring fish away and not caring. Sora wouldn't come after him. He didn't know this place. Didn't want to go near it. It was dark in a way that didn't appeal to the cheerful boy. Roxas, on the other hand, was completely comfortable.

And so was, it seemed, Riku. Roxas wasn't sure if he was pleased he'd guessed right, or annoyed that someone else had found what had been _his_ hideaway.

"It's not like the sea," Riku said suddenly, quietly. At first, Roxas thought he wasn't talking to him. Riku's long, slender fingers were busily trying to detach the burs from Setzer's thick fur, the dog whining lowly at particularly hard yanks. Roxas frowned and moved to help him.

"It's a lake. You don't get waves," Riku continued. Roxas repressed a tart comment on how he knew that. Although he had heard from Sora about how much Riku liked the sea. "But, there's something about this place…that calms me down." Riku paused and looked up at the cloudy bits of sky he could see above them. "It's funny. Sora used to be scared of the dark- I guess you know. I always wanted to explore here, though. But I never did, until now. It's darker than ever, the path to get here. But I can't be scared of it. It's not exactly comforting, but it has its own…sense."

Riku's fingers stopped combing through Setzer's hair. "But I think I like the lake the more for it. It's too bright outside. Too dark inside. Here, it's just right. Twilight."

Struck by strange sense of familiarity, Roxas shuddered slightly, reflexively. It was like hearing his own thoughts again. His hands clenched on the hank of fur he'd been working on and Setzer yipped, looking at him accusingly.

"He likes you," Riku stated.

"He knows me," Roxas admitted.

"I heard- you had to pry him out of an old tin bucket when he ran away, right?"

Roxas nodded. Truth be told, Sora had wanted to keep him, but he was allergic to dogs. It made his face puff up. He'd insisted on bathing him until Roxas forced him to let him help. His mother had laughed and hugged Sora for days afterwards, Sora's cheeks swollen like a greedy sunflower seed-full hamster from the allergy. That was when Kairi and Sora had had the brilliant idea of giving the puppy to Riku for his birthday.

Setzer's tail brushed against his and Riku's hands, reminding Roxas how close he was sitting to the other, their heads bent over the dog's fur. He could feel the silver strands slight pressure on his own hair, blowing against his face slightly when there was a breeze. Riku's breathing was even and he felt his warmth from where their knees touched, just like the times on the sofa and the gym. But he couldn't bring himself to mind it. He inhaled slowly, smelling grass and dog and Riku.

"He doesn't like a lot of people," Riku commented, eyes growing dark for a few moments. "He doesn't like father. He got tied up in the garage when he wouldn't stop barking."

"Did you go back to your house to rescue him?"

"You could say that. Father wasn't at the house, then."

Roxas digested the information in silence, understanding without comment, something that felt somehow intensely private. He wondered for a few seconds if Sora shouldn't have been the one here, after all. No. Sora would say something. Well meant, but probably brash.

The stillness was nice, but Roxas didn't really approve of just enduring something… action was better. If the way Riku had tensed up after mentioning his father was any indication, it probably wasn't healthy for him to keep it bottled up. (Not that Roxas was a particular expert on that. He tended to explode, after all.)

"I used to throw stones at the lake," Roxas said quietly. "I think the farthest one went all the way to that piece of driftwood," he pointed across the lake, where a huge black-brown chunk of fallen tree was still visible above the waterline. It was fully two-thirds of the way across the lake's diameter- nothing to scoff at by anyone who had experience with rock throwing.

Riku stared at him, then slowly broke into something like a grin. "Was that a challenge?"

Roxas shrugged, the half smirk that he used when Hayner was being particularly boastful appearing on his lips.

They spent the rest of the afternoon throwing and skipping rocks across the lake, much to the consternation of a still bur-infested Setzer, who barked at them, chased a frog, and tried to sniff at a porcupine that was ambling on its way back to its burrow. The porcupine took offense, prompting stifled snorts of laughter from the boys.

By the time they went back, Riku had a real smile.

--

Three days after Riku appeased Sora's worries about his mental health, the silver haired teen called Roxas into the kitchen, where he'd been doing his turn of washing dishes. Reiko had taken the older girls for a 'Girls Night Out' and Sora was wrestling with algebra. Roxas had been passing through to get the calculator he'd left on the sofa before he tackled his own homework.

"I'll just put this away," Riku said quickly, placing the finished dishes back into the cupboard cabinet above him. His shirt lifted slightly, and Roxas averted his eyes.

Drumming his fingers against the kitchen table, half nervous, half impatient, Roxas waited for Riku to say something. "You wanted to ask me something?" he prompted.

Riku nodded and sat down on one of the kitchen stools. "Yeah, I was hoping you'd help me pick out a present for Sora. Tomorrow's a holiday and everything."

Roxas blinked, once, twice. "You what?"

"I'm not really good at this sort of thing," Riku made a face. "I usually ask Kairi, but she said she was busy… and his birthday's coming up soon."

_Wow, I didn't know that._ Roxas folded his arms. "Why me?"

"Why not?" Riku asked just as easily back.

He would say no. There was just no way he was going to go around traipsing after Riku all over the streets of the shopping districts while he looked for a gift for Sora. Riku could probably give Sora mismatched socks and the other boy wouldn't mind too much. Ok, so maybe he would. But couldn't he get a videogame or something?

"Fine." Roxas heard himself say.

_When did I get such a big mouth? _

--

**Author's Rambles:**

Many thanks to x-zebbie-x (can be found on DA most of the time ;D) for betaing the chapter for me and laughing at all the right places. :D

;P I never thought I'd be this busy. No promises on the next chapter, sadly. Meantime, Balthier apparently likes feisty blondes. Go figure. Or maybe he just likes blondes. (that would be about the rest of the playable cast except for Ashe- who sorta looks light haired in certain lights anyway.) And yes, shameless abuse of leading man quote. In my defense, this is my first one. XD

Also, you may notice lots of shifts of moods- I'm not entirely sure if that's a bad or a good thing, though. ;P Also, the next chapter should be the second to the last. I _will _finish this! Then I can go write Flipping. nods And woo, more than 7100 words of pure fic. I'm a little distracted, so apologies for skips or anything like that.

Oh right- refs! Welps, Yuffie's underpants song is something I vaguely remember reading somewhere. A harry potter fanfic I think? And Selphie's "Roxas cant be a bride" thing is because there's this old superstition in Japan where if someone sees you naked/ in your underwear, it's like you're no longer chaste coughdevirginizedcough and thus you can no longer find a good husband. I've seen it used in a lot of manga, and sometimes used in reverse (cannot find a wife). I just thought it was amusing. XD;

**Favorite lines from this:**

Before Roxas could recall what a Balthier was and what it could _possibly_ be doing in his _pants_, his mom was already chattering away.

(I swear, I didn't _intend _that innuendo! At first.)

Great. He had always wanted to eat hearts for breakfast.

(XD OrgXIII Life Rule #78: Always have hearts for breakfast.)

**Tell me what you think **and help the poor math-besieged author recover more quickly from school? XD


	6. Presenting Presentable

**Nobody's Fool**

_Fantacination _

**Trick VI**

**Presenting Presentable**

**--**

Roxas had to take one and a half steps to match each of Riku's easy strides. The thought didn't settle well with him, but he'd learned to accept the inevitable. Riku was about a head taller, and his legs seemed even longer for it. Roxas tried very hard not to envy him the height.

They were headed towards the train station to commute to the shopping center in downtown Traverse. The day was windy, a lively breeze picking up abandoned newspaper pages and rustling leaves. There was definitely a hint of summer, now, but the day was crisply cold enough to be comfortable. The boys had dressed accordingly. Roxas in a short-sleeved checkered hoodie over a dark blue tank top and dark jeans, Riku in a quarter-sleeve black turtleneck and faded black jeans. Surprisingly enough, both items of clothing fit. He'd honestly thought Riku had a thing against jeans that didn't constantly try to fall off his hips.

The dark clothing contrasted well with the creamy complexion of Riku's skin, almost making it glow- which was a little disconcerting. Riku was good looking. His fanclub said so. A fanclub that now included Axel. He had no idea what he must look like, walking next to him. He brushed the thought away irritably. Why should he care?

Shoving his hands into his jean pockets, Roxas kept the silence, somehow reminded of the time (how long ago was it now?) he'd gone for groceries with Riku. His lips tugged into a brief smile as he recalled the butter incident before he bit it back, perplexed. Why was he smiling?

There had been too many 'why's and far too few answers, lately.

A few others were already at the station, lounging in the cold metal chairs that lined either side of the rails. They had arrived just in time- Roxas could already see the violet train half a kilometer or so off, causing the other boarders to stir slightly in preparation. There would be just enough time to-

"I got the tickets," Riku breathed, his breath tickling Roxas' ear from where he'd bent to tell him. Starting, Roxas whipped his head around, inadvertently bumping their noses together.

"Uh—" The train heaved into the station, puffing out barely-seen steam as it came to a halt. The doors opened with a small hiss and a handful of passengers got off- mostly housewives who had probably done some quick shopping for lunch. In fact, from the looks of the populated caboose, a lot of people had decided to go to Traverse for lunch.

"We better get on." Riku placed a hand on Roxas' back, urging him forward. Flustered for a reason he couldn't name, Roxas didn't even protest the hand. Obediently stepping up onto the train and grabbing a small plastic hoop to steady him through the ride. There weren't any vacant seats, so it was just as well, he supposed. Riku took a hoop beside him, positioning himself so he could use a nearby pole for support if he needed to.

As soon as everyone was in, a conductor shut the doors and signaled the driver to go by pressing the button.

Roxas decided he had to break the strange not-quite-awkward silence. "Did you have anything in mind for-" the train started with a small jerk- probably an old model- in any other circumstance, it wouldn't have troubled Roxas at all to brace himself against the floor and the hoop. He'd don't it enough times. Except, he hadn't been paying attention, and rather than bracing himself, he fell against Riku's chest, his face buried half in the soft fold of the turtleneck collar, half against the silky skin of Riku's neck.

"Roxas? You okay?" The train now moving steadily, Riku ventured to put a steadying hand on Roxas' shoulder. His fingertips brushed against Roxas' neck, a small jolt traveling between them.

A couple of girls nudged each other in the seats across from them, pointing and giggling.

Horrified, Roxas pushed himself away, almost ending up unbalancing himself again. His hand flew to his mouth reflexively, quickly disguised as a cough. His ears and cheeks burned in flushed embarrassment. _Why?_ Why was he… reacting?

--

"Skates?" Riku pondered aloud, thoughtfully going through a rack of them. Wedge Gear, one of the better known sport equipment brands was having a sale. Three rows of sleek, shiny roller skates stood in the stands, tempting the prospective buyer.

"The last time Sora had those on, he passed a red light, pushed Queena's frog into cake batter, and fell down the stairs," Roxas recited blandly.

"Good point. Queena likes frogs that much?"

"Eats them."

"… I haven't seen Sora's soccer ball anywhere," Riku observed, changing the subject. There was a basket of the black and white balls right next to the skates display.

"That's because it's buried under his room," Roxas pointed out dryly. He and Sora liked soccer. They still played it sometimes, but Sora had a tendency to leave things around his room around. It usually turned up a couple of years later- or whenever he was forced to do a general cleaning. Whichever came first.

Spotting a basketball, Riku examined it, dribbling it a couple of times against the floor to check the quality. "Needs more air," he observed, before tossing it up and trying to make it spin on one finger. He actually succeeded, for a couple of seconds before the ball flopped back into the basket.

Swallowing the chuckle that bubbled up at the sight, Roxas scanned the store while Riku was busy, disliking how his eyes tended to follow him, now. Blue eyes lit on a life-size cardboard cutout of a guy with one foot propped on a green skateboard. Roxas already had a present for Sora. A red and black skateboard bought on sale from another store. Sora had been bugging him to teach him how to skateboard since he'd seen Roxas practice his 360s. With any luck, it wouldn't end up like the roller skating incident. It wasn't that Sora was inept. He could be clumsy, sometimes, sure, but sports was actually his forte. It was just that getting into trouble was also his forte.

The next thing he spotted was a salesclerk behind a glass desk, chewing gum and texting at the same time. The store manager wasn't anywhere in sight, so he supposed the girl was safe enough. The display in front of her showed a row of colorful foil packets.

"Trading cards?" Riku suggested, following his line of sight.

"He's lost most of them." Both twins had gone through the playable trading card phase. Roxas' was in a small box on the upper shelf of his desk. Sora's was in a similar box: location unknown.

"Didn't you collect, too?" Riku asked, bending to look at the available single cards for sale. A few strands of hair fell into his face, brushed back impatiently by a slim-wristed hand.

Roxas blinked and belatedly answered the question. "Yeah, I still have mine. Sora told you?"

"Yeah. He was complaining about you beating him. Maybe I should challenge the champion some time?" Riku smiled, more a smirk, really.

Roxas mirrored it without thinking. "Bring it."

--

Their next stop was, curiously enough, an accessory shop.

Roxas sifted through a pile of assorted high-end keychains (one of the latest trends in Destiny High, as far as he knew). There was one in virtually every design from smiling blobs to intricate sigils of lions and hawks. He paused to admire a large silver one, a simple four-point star that looked a little like a shuriken.

Riku came over as he was examining the price tag. He winced inwardly. Not after buying Sora's present. Maybe after he got birthday money. He set it back down.

"Anything good?"

"Sora likes crowns," Roxas indicated a few with the aforementioned design. There was a crown that looked like it was based off a foreign monarch, one that may have been from an ancient civilization, one cut from black metal, a simple three-pointed flat design, and many more.

That aside, there were winged designs. One was silver and white, the detailed engraving in the feathers so realistic that Roxas was tempted to touch it to see if it really was hard. There was a key ring with a set of demon wings carved from ebony and tinted dark red and violet. There was even a pirate-y one with a motif of skulls chased around the rim of the wide keyring. There were a lot of stars, too. Large, polygonal stars, 3-D figures, delicate constellations, and even a few made of native materials- dried starfish, coral, Thalassa shells from the beach.

Riku picked one up. "Kairi made some of these for Sora, once."

Roxas had seen that. It was probably still hanging precariously on the corner of Sora's picture frame.

"How about that?" Roxas pointed to the display next to them. Chains of every imaginable link and style were coiled onto little heaps. In the center, chains with pendants hung from a rotating stand. One of them had a large silver crown glinting under the store lights.

"Yeah, that might work," Riku considered. "Could you try it on?"

Roxas blinked. "You want me to try it on?"

"We can see if it's too short or too long…"

As much as being used as a mannequin didn't appeal to Roxas (not that his mother had ever cared), Riku did have a point. But… Roxas sighed and went over to the stand, hooking the chain off and holding it up against his neck. It _looked_ like it would hang just above his collarbone.

Riku came over and took the chain from him, slipping it over Roxas' head neatly, fingers brushing against his neck. Roxas suppressed an instinctive shiver. The pendant dropped to a couple of inches, resting heavily on his sternum. Riku walked in front of him and seemed to examine it carefully. Feeling distinctly awkward, Roxas looked through the rest of the chains, catching sight of a sleek-linked chain with tiny faceted beads and another that looked very disturbingly liked a stylized, 2-dimensional phallus.

"I don't know, " Riku said, finally, "he might like a game or something better."

Roxas nodded, quickly taking the necklace off and putting it back on the stand. "Yeah, there's a game he's been looking out for, I think." He couldn't for the life of him remember what the title had been, but then it didn't matter as long as they got away from the strange atmosphere in this shop.

--

"I don't think so," Roxas stated. He folded his arms and gave a soft, exasperated sigh.

Riku was next to a box full of kittens. Or half-full of kittens, anyway. The other half was currently eagerly trying to use Riku as a scratching post. Of the litter, there were two tortoiseshells, a striped caramel-colored kit, and one milk-white kitten with very large green eyes.

The striped kit in particular was attacking Riku's shoelace in ferocious kitten-y glee. Riku's footwear might not survive the trip. Something the older teen was working on, much to the store owner's and Roxas' reluctant amusement.

"I didn't think so," Riku admitted, prying a protesting and grumpy blonde kitten from his shoelace and holding it up in front of him. The kitten hissed and batted its tiny limbs at his face. "You know, he kinda has your eyes," Riku offered, with a teasing smile, then settled the kit back into the writhing mess that was its mother and siblings. Next went the white kitten that had been kneading Riku's left pants leg.

The blonde looked away- something he'd been doing a lot, lately, hoping the unreasonable warmth that was heating his cheeks would go away. It was embarrassing to even be on this trip, much less to be compared to a fuzzy would-be lioncub. Right?

Riku scratched the mother cat's chin with a finger, eliciting a small purr. "They're very friendly. Sora would have loved them."

"He would have loved them with smiling puffy cheeks." Roxas shook his head. He didn't know why they bothered to check the pet shop. Sora couldn't keep anything that had fur or feathers, and didn't care much for the animals that didn't have them. Once, he'd pleaded with their mother for another stray they'd picked up when they were younger. A crabby bird he'd called Donald.

Unfazed, Riku wandered over to the terrariums that held small, cuddly, furry mammals. Otherwise known as bunnies, guinea pigs, and hamsters.

Roxas blinked. It was rare that any of them were awake at this time of the day. But a tiny, chubby hamster was climbing atop the spongy, fluffy mass of its brethren and sleepily following Riku's fingers around like it was a particularly delectable sunflower seed. It's tiny nose quivered before losing interest and burrowing back into the warm hamster pile tucked into the corner. Of course, that just meant it kicked another one out.

This one was a cream-colored teddy bear hamster with large gold-brown spots in its coat. After being pushed away, it rolled to a stop next to the red food dish, jerked out of it's sleep and the squishy comfort of the pile.

Riku reached into the open terrarium- probably to push the hamster back into the pile. Instead, the tiny thing came wide awake as soon as Riku's fingers tried to scoop it, scrambling up Riku's arm in what may have been hamster-ly terror.

"!!" The adventurous hamster had run straight into Riku's shirt and was currently wriggling around, headed towards the general vicinity of Riku's hips. He'd better hope it didn't get into his pants.

Then again, there were probably worse things than getting molested by a rampaging hamster.

"…Uh, Roxas, could you… help me with this?" Riku's hands were frantically trying to trap the hamster in the cloth- without success.

Roxas blinked and wondered if Riku seriously wanted him to stick his hand up his shirt within view of every passerby malling on a Saturday.

He did it anyway.

It was only when his hand closed around the squirming furry wayward pet that it hit the blonde exactly how stupid he was.

Roxas had all of three seconds to realize three things. One, Riku's skin was really, really warm. Two, the firm ridges of his abs definitely weren't painted on. And three, sharp, hot pain blossomed at the tip of his finger.

"Ow, it bit me!"

**--**

Minutes later, both boys stood in the third floor open air plaza, Roxas' finger wrapped in a bandaid, and Riku looking somewhat sheepish. The owner had been deeply apologetic, offering them use of a first aid kit and assuring him that all the animals were healthy. Roxas kept a dose of skepticism on how far 'healthy' went, but he supposed someone would know if he started foaming at the mouth or developed mutant powers. (Not that Hamsterman had all that much appeal, as far as superheroes went.)

"…Sorry about that." Riku hesitated, a hand reaching up sheepishly to cup the back of his head. "Here, I'll, uh, treat you to something?"

"It's fine," Roxas said blandly. He wasn't about to keel over because of a tiny bite. It was a shallow wound, a tiny crescent of broken skin. If anything, he was feeling a little embarrassed about shouting about it.

But Riku was already gone, probably scouting the nearby snack stalls. He melted into the now-thick crowds.

Roxas frowned and decided it wasn't any of his business if Riku wanted to waste money. Other than that, something had been bugging him. He'd texted Axel the night before about the outing today. He'd debated helping him, after the whole night club thing. But he _was_ his best friend, and he'd pretty much forgiven him for it. Roxas stuck a tongue out. For better or (more likely) worse. (That little premonition certainly explained his hesitation last night.) What was strange was that Axel hadn't shown up yet. It had already been several hours since he and Riku had started. The day was almost done. Axel had sent a text message saying he was going, didn't he? Roxas checked the message. Yep. It was there.

The plaza had a wide railed-off center that overlooked all the other floors below it. Majority of the escalators and elevators were gathered in the hollow, but you could glimpse the busy, milling crowd shopping as they passed by, too. This late into the afternoon, business was picking up. Especially on the third floor, where there were several snack stalls and hobby shops, including an arcade (nothing on the Golden Saucer, but it was alright). He couldn't even tell where Riku was, anymore.

There was really only one way to get a good look around.

Roxas hoisted himself gracefully up the flat-topped railing, wondering why for the umpteenth time, that he hadn't gotten his growth spurt yet. It was annoying to be so short in a crowd of taller people. There wasn't a sign of Axel in sight. He'd have been able to see that flaring red hair anywhere. Failing that, he could always try tracing the path of destruction, flaming debris, and molested passersby.

None of those either. Roxas concluded Axel wasn't there yet.

Lithely, the boy turned to step back down from his perch—except a large man with shopping bags got pushed to the railing suddenly, jostling Roxas. "Hey—"

He fell.

The bump had unbalanced him and he could see the street below frighteningly closer than he wanted it to be. Eyes wide, he couldn't even muster the breath to scream.

"Careful," Riku breathed in his ear.

His arm was thrown about his chest and another warm hand splayed across his stomach. He was off the rail with his back pressed closely to a broad, warm chest. A lock of silver hair that tickled his cheek confirmed it. Riku.

Roxas felt his cheeks warm for the third time that day. "I—I'm… Thanks," he stammered.

Riku let go of him. "You're ok, right?" The silver-haired teen rested a hand on Roxas' shoulder, turning him around and looking him over. For what, Roxas had no idea. Maybe ingested drugs or alcohol.

_You're already wandering blind._

"Fine. Just lost my balance, a little…" Bad habit. Olette had told him it'd be the death of him. Roxas forced himself to calm down. It was just a near-death experience. Nothing big. Yeah right. "Did you find…anything for the gift, while you were looking?"

Riku's eyes always seemed to light up when he smiled.

"I'm sure we'll find something between the two of us." Staring up into those shifting viridian eyes, Roxas' mouth went dry.

Something clicked.

Gods help him.

He _liked_ _Riku_.

"Hey, I was thinking we could take a break in one of the café's…" Riku started, leaning against the rail slightly, "Seventh Heaven has a good selection of shakes."

Mind still spinning, Roxas nodded without comprehending. You could've told him the sky was green and the grass was orange (or wear red sequin short shorts), and he wouldn't have given a single objection.

Riku seemed completely oblivious. He led a numb Roxas on a minute's walk to a cool, cozy café and sliding into the booth opposite of Riku as he ordered something from the smiling waitress in a tight miniskirt.

"Is that alright with you, Roxas?"

"Huh? Uhm, sure," Roxas said, absolutely clueless on what he was agreeing to.

"I thought _Sora_ was the accident-prone one of the family," Riku commented.

That was enough for Roxas to regain a little of his mind. "Just because you've never been in an accident outside of sports," he retorted. Roxas regretted the half-thought words as soon as they left his mouth.

Riku's eyes darkened. "You'd be surprised." He leaned into his seat, eyes turning to look at the view outside. This half of the store overlooked the sea, where the sun was already beginning to set, dying, half-darkness covering the sky.

"I guess it's about time I tell you, huh?"

Roxas didn't say anything. Couldn't, even if he could somehow string the words together. The waitress came back with their orders, settling two thick shakes and a couple of plates of sandwiches and fries on the tiny table in front of them. She winked and flirted hopefully with Riku, only to be ignored. Roxas pushed down the sense of vindictive glee that gave him.

"My mom's in the hospital, right now. She's fine, but my father might be home."

Roxas took a sip of his shake and waited, surprised when he tasted the salty-sweet flavor of seasalt ice cream burst on his tongue. Riku had remembered.

"He beats her up, sometimes. He's freaking bipolar. He'll pretend to be nice and normal one day and he'll punch her into a heap the next. The last couple of times… before, I was there to block him." Riku let out a little laugh, self-deprecating and mirthless. "He didn't like that."

Riku's arms were crossed over his chest as he slouched into his seat. His tone was steadily growing angrier, like the memory alone served to fuel his deep-seated hatred. "He goes out to work and drink and shit, but whenever he gets back home…" Riku trailed off. "My mom's going to be discharged soon. My brothers aren't home much anymore, so it'll be just me and her and _him_ whenever he chooses to come back. With any luck, he won't be around, though."

"The funny thing is, she still loves him. She tells me that he's paying for us-she can't work-, so he can't be that bad, that he can be kind, too. She'll probably keep saying that 'till she dies."

Riku took a sip of the shake. "As far as the social workers know, he's a good provider, and mom won't testify or do anything against him. She said she'd disown us if we did anything like that, too."

Unsure, Roxas continued to sip at his shake until Riku stopped talking. Things were beginning to fit. The bruises, Sora mentioning how Riku was taken out of school, the mentions of his father, the spaced out stares. Looking at it now, it was easy to see why Sora and Riku had fought weeks ago. Sometimes, there weren't any easy answers. Sometimes there was no black and white; night and day. Sora, being Sora, had always believed in good and evil as entirely separate. It was part of his charm, actually. But it was an unyielding view, to the point of being simplistic.

"I hit him back," Riku said quietly. "Sometimes, I think I want to kill him."

"Would you?" Roxas asked, just as quietly.

Riku seemed to think it over, taking a bite out of his sandwich. Then he gave a half-broken sigh. "Probably not."

"Then that's that," Roxas said, matter-of-fact. With all the apparent shit considered, Roxas would've been surprised if he didn't at least have an urge. Heh. Human darkness. Everyone had it. The feeling of anger and hate so deep that you would consider things you normally wouldn't. It was just that there was a line. And what made you human prevented you from stepping over it.

"Just like that?" Confusion, hope, and then anger flitted over Riku's face. His fist clenched.

"Of course not," Roxas exhaled. "I… just believe that you won't." Roxas paused. He couldn't say for sure why he thought Riku wouldn't. But… he was Riku, after all. Things were very delicate. And he wasn't sure he wouldn't just botch the whole thing up, really, but it looked like he'd have to try. Riku had entrusted him with this, after all. "Sora and Kairi, they believe in you, too."

"I know that. That's why…"

"You're afraid of falling." It's a little thought. Surprisingly clear.

"…I guess you could say that."

"You're an idiot, you know that?" Roxas snorted. "Sora and Kairi would never leave you."

"Why not? What's going to keep them from forgetting about me?"

"Because they'll do everything to pull you back up." Roxas settled both of his hands on the table, lacing them loosely together.

"And no matter what… I understand." Just like the hidden lake, bathed in near-eternal half-light.

Riku remained silent for long minutes." I think you might be the only person who could say that."

Roxas smiled wryly. He'd almost thought he'd said the wrong thing. "Disappointed?"

"No. Thankful." Riku smiled back, the dying sun on his hair and face, just like a dawn.

Roxas caught his breath, stunned and forcibly reminded of his latest revelation. He forced himself to breathe out, changing the subject before he said something he might regret. "How much do Sora and Kairi know?"

"Just about my dad, for now."

Roxas nodded. Riku would tell them both when the time came. When he was ready. About to say something to that effect, he paused. Riku was reaching for a bottle of ketchup.

"Here, I'll get that…" They both ended up holding the bottle at the same time, fingers overlapping. Staring at their joined hands, Roxas realized his cheeks were warming again. He jerked his hands away, panicked.

"Roxas?"

"Roxas, Riku," someone drawled. That tone. It could only be Axel.

Like a child caught with his hand in the cookie jar, Roxas stiffened. Standing right in front of their table, looking every inch of casual, was his best friend. Axel had dressed comfortably in a fur-trimmed khaki jacket over his usual tight shirt and jeans, his boots a soft suede that explained his noiseless entrance.

A couple of waitresses seemed stunned that he was there at all. Axel sauntered over to both of them, grin in place, placing either hand on both of their shoulders. "That looks good," he remarked, eyes on the food before flickering to Riku's face.

Roxas stomach suddenly seemed heavy, like his heart had dropped into it.

"Uhm, yeah." That was right. It was like this. Riku was Axel's target.

"Mind if I have some?" Axel was already sliding into the booth, sitting next to Riku as he reached for the side order of fries that came with the sandwiches. The booth was small. Axel pressed against Riku's side nonchalantly, smiling that languid smile.

"Hey, that's mine," Riku pointed out, looking a little annoyed.

"And?" Axel shrugged lazily, turning slightly so he was facing Riku. Riku rolled his eyes and turned away, muttering a 'whatever'. Axel smirked and licked his ear, prompting a small start.

Riku frowned and glared but didn't say anything, a slight flush on his cheeks.

Evidently, Axel had spent a fruitful night, last time.

Blatantly ignoring the stunned silence elsewhere in the café, Axel also helped himself to the shake, managing to make even that mostly innocent gesture seem strangely sexual. "What's in this stuff?" the redhead asked, making a face.

"Paopu," Riku replied briefly. Axel's eyes lit up as he took the opportunity to ply Riku with conversation, mentioning this or that from so and so. If nothing else, Axel possessed a silver tongue.

What was he still doing here?

Mumbling an excuse to go to the restroom while both were distracted, Roxas got up and discreetly walked out of the cafe. He kept walking: past the doors, the tiny plastic sign that told him the restrooms were to the right, and the low mall gates. His body was working on autopilot even as his brain had somehow ceased to work. Cold numbness had washed over him, isolating him in a cocoon of solitude.

He barely noticed how he'd gotten on the train, the old lady who'd smiled kindly at him, the light drizzle of rain as he walked up their driveway.

"Roxas- you're back early," his mother greeted, arms full of papers. She'd always been a little haphazard about her work. Then she frowned, thin brows knitting together.

"Where's Riku?"

"In the mall."

"Without you?"

"Axel…Axel's there."

"All the more reason you should be there, right?" She pursed her lips slightly, straightening the papers with aid from the kitchen counter.

Roxas was quiet, hesitating. "…I really-"

His mother stopped, suddenly, absolutely still. Then, she rounded upon Roxas, mouth open comically wide in revelation. "It's _Riku_, isn't it!"

Roxas simply stared at her, half-unseeing. His mother had already guessed. It figured. Just like the strangely bitter taste in his mouth.

Reiko's eyes softened. "Go up and take a shower. I'll fix something for you when you're done."

Setzer yipped at him as he padded upstairs, whining when Roxas didn't pay any attention to him. Both girls seemed to be busy conferring in Sora's room, armed with a flashlight, a huge pink blanket, and insane girlish giggling. Sora, of course, wasn't in. Today was Aerith's party.

He made it to the shower, dragging his feet into the stall and leaning against the cold tiles as he let the warmer water fall over him. He wasn't dramatic enough to drown himself. But right now, he almost wished he was.

He was still staring at the tiles when the water started to run cold.

His mother eventually dragged him out of the bathroom via threats and plunked him down onto his own bed, fussing at him with large towels and placing a mug of hot chocolate in his hands.

"You should really know better than to walk in the rain, Roxy," she scolded. The hot chocolate was thick, creamy, and had a marshmallow smiling face. She used to make some just like these when they were six and scared of thunder. The rich aroma wafted up to him, easing a little of the numbness.

"I picked up a fresh carton of ice cream a while ago- honestly, between the girls and you, we never seem to have enough in the house." Reiko took away the damp towels, depositing them on a nearby chair to dry as she tried to neaten up Roxas' bed.

"Oh, and Hayner called, a while ago. He said that all of you were going to a beach party next weekend. Why don't you go? It's been ages since you've been to the beach, right? Sora got invited, too. It seems like a school event." Chatting softly, Reiko seemed to have arranged everything in her son's room to satisfaction and dropped a kiss on Roxas' brow. "I love you, sweet," she said softly, and went back downstairs.

Left on his own, finally, Roxas settled the half-empty cup of hot chocolate on the table beside his bed, noticing and ignoring the flashing icon on his cellphone that said he had new messages. He wasn't sure he could take it right now. Wasn't sure that he was in his right mind. Slowly, like he was moving underwater, Roxas curled up on his side, arms reaching out to entangle themselves on the loosened sheets (his mother never could 'neaten up'). Everything seemed much more real and dreamlike at the same time. He could still smell the faint scent of chocolate in the air and in his mouth, feel the fluffy softness of the bedspread, hear the tapping of the rain against the tiles on their roof. But those familiar things seemed so alien.

_What am I doing? _

A flash of the day in stills. _Ah, that's right._ He needed to sort this out. Taking a breath, Roxas forced himself to go over the day in his mind.

He was in love with Riku. Riku. Sora's best friend. His best friend, Axel's, target. It was almost a bad dream. There was no way this was going to end well. He knew his best friend best- Axel wouldn't stop until Riku had given into him. He couldn't steal him away even if he wanted to. He'd promised Axel. Axel was his best friend. Best friends didn't go steal the other's love interest. He didn't even want to think about how Axel would react to something like that. Easygoing as he was, there were moments when he lost his temper. And betrayal was one of them.

_Dammit. How did this _**happen**_? _

He wasn't supposed to like Riku. He'd never even imagined he might _like_ boys.

He'd never had any problems with gayness. Even with what he'd said to Balthier. He hung out with _Axel_, after all, and if there was anything gayer than him, chances were that Axel knew them intimately.

But he'd never imagined that _he_ himself might be. And for goddamned _Riku_. Riku who'd been the indirect cause for his suffering for the past few long weeks; who'd pushed him and caught him crossdressing and randomly ignored him. Riku who'd stayed at their house bruised up and couldn't deal with hamsters and found his secret spot that nobody but him was ever supposed to know about.

And suddenly, everything seemed all too unfair.

"Fuck _this_," Roxas choked out, seizing the nearest pillow and throwing it against the far wall, followed by another and another, all three making moderately satisfying thumps and dislodging picture frames and paperweights and an old trophy he'd won when he was ten, all of which fell to the ground, some of them cracked, a tiny marble rolling away from the trophy's stylized arc.

He could've thrown more, but there weren't any pillows left. Instead, Roxas pounded his fist into the mattress until his arm ached. Screaming into the blankets when that happened. It was screwy and messed up and it didn't make sense. And all he could do was pour everything of that unsettling frustration, that disconcerting way of not knowing why or how, the knowledge of the impossible and inevitable as he battered the springy bed underneath him.

He didn't know how long it took, or if it even took long at all, but finally, he was tired.

And he could think.

There was really nothing for it. Axel would win Riku over- soon by the looks of it- and he'd sit quietly down and pretend that he'd never realized anything. He'd ignored the guy for the better part of a decade. It shouldn't be that hard, right? Roxas studiously ignored how hollow the thought was. It was time to be brutally objective with himself. Riku had no clue about Roxas' discovery. And never would, if Roxas had a say in it. And if Riku thought Axel was 'The One' for him, like Axel seemed to think Riku was, then he'd be happy for them and present a smile. He was Roxas, after all. Since when did he _feel_ anything, after all? All that was left was to show them all his normal self and let things run their course. He'd get over it. Just like any other thing in the past.

Roxas stared up at the ceiling, at the shadows, the pockmarks, the way the mobile balanced daintily in the thin air, suspended by thin strings, and let the first hot tear gently slide down his face.

--

**Rambles:**

The first line was inspired by a very similar line from Tamora Pierce's Alanna: The First Adventure. It's a medieval fantasy book and the first and name-making quartet of this feminist author. :)

I have to say, though, this chapter was a bitch to write. I'm still inspirationless, actually. sighs Thus, this is actually a bit shorter than usual.

I'm not sure exactly what was so hard to do about this chapter- might just be my mood, though. ;P Dislike this feeling muchly. Ah, well. I had fun describing the pet shop and the keychains, though. And aw, huuuuuug the Roxas muse. Poor dense/angsty thing that takes it out on defenseless inanimate objects (good thing his computer is on the other side of the room). Sadly, I have no idea what he's going to do with himself yet.

The funny thing about Roxas' temper is, he still merged with Sora, in the end, all bashing of computers and computer-generated Diz's aside. Something must've pushed him, beyond just not holding a grudge. Maybe it's something like this sort of logic. After all, he'd betrayed an Organization to seek his destiny. No home, no friends (data and betrayed). And Sora was the much-needed savior.

Oh yeah, unbetaed. I really don't feel like wincing at it all.

We're moving towards the end. My first completed multichapter, yes. Any takers for the 50th review?

Tell me what you think?

I tried to make the drama sound…_not _trite. Heaven knows if I succeeded.


	7. Running Into Yourself

**Nobody's Fool**

_Fantacination  
_

**Trick VII**

**Running Into Yourself**

"_Think you're escaping and run into yourself._

_Longest way round is the shortest way home."_

_-James Joyce  
_

**-----------------------------------**

"Just _what_ is that _thing _on your head?" Hayner asked, in the same tone he would have if Roxas had come in wearing one of Axel's 'Cock's Up' caps.

"A knitted hat," Roxas deadpanned, crumpling into a seat. He'd taken a quick and very cold shower before leaving early that morn. Which meant that his mother had forced him to wear the cap, and he was still shivering.

"It's a _beanie_ just like _Seifer's,_ that's what! Next thing you know, you'll be strutting around the school in a sleeveless lab gown with little followers who can't talk and everything!"

Roxas sighed and removed the hat. "There. Happy?"

"Now there's the hat hair we all know and love" Olette teased, ruffling Roxas' messy blonde hair.

Roxas glared. His hat hair was just fine being hatty hair, thank you very much. There came a point when you just stopped trying to style it otherwise. Not that this had occurred to the little girls, yet.

"Anyway, are you guys going to the Beach Blast? It should be a great party," Olette remarked brightly, taking out a flyer from her bag. Always the responsible one, Olette managed to keep tabs of everything major that happened in school. It probably helped she was the batch representative.

Hayner leaned over and snatched the paper from her hands, looking over the lurid yellow and orange advertisement. "It's next weekend already? Sweet. I heard that The Black Mages are going to perform."

"Yeah, I heard some of the university bands are opening act, too," Pence piped up.

Roxas blinked. University bands probably meant Demyx. Which meant he'd drag Axel along, too. Almost a sure fire guarantee, even if Axel were the type of guy to miss parties. And he'd probably take Riku.

Just like that, Roxas remembered eightfold why he'd taken that early shower at all.

---

Roxas sighed as he trotted up the steps to the college compound on a Monday afternoon. He was going to return a game that Axel had lent him a few months ago. Between Hayner, Pence, and himself, aided by several cans of fizzy oversweet soda, they'd been able to demolish the last few boss fights and complete all the minigames. There wasn't any point to letting the thing fester around his room for much longer. He just wasn't sure if he was ready to try being normal with Axel, yet.

Last Saturday, Riku hadn't gone back home until eleven in the evening – he hadn't been counting, of course not. That was for lovesick losers who didn't have a life. He'd only noticed because Riku had to open the door, quieter than a mouse. He'd stood in the room for a several seconds, possibly staring at Roxas' turned back on the bed, before moving towards his own pallet. Roxas' mother must have told him that the blonde was tired or sick.

Roxas hadn't questioned it. He'd had the feeling that sick would be too mild a word for what he felt at the thought of sharing his room with Riku indefinitely now that he actually _liked_ him. He was awkwardly hyperaware of the other teen's presence, the soft breathing, the way he tossed and turned in the night. It was all Roxas could do not to turn around and whisper, touch, ask him what had passed in the turbulent realm of dreams. In the end, he had looked anyway, staring until Riku shifted or sighed in his sleep.

The blonde teen had gotten up early for the next few days, carefully hanging out with Pence and the others instead of around the house. Luckily, Sora and the girls kept Riku busy, making Roxas' disappearance natural-seeming.

Or maybe Riku just hadn't noticed.

He firmly shut that thought away with a frown. He. Didn't. Care. Had no right to care. He turned his thoughts to his best friend, instead. It would probably hurt a little to see Axel, right now, but not seeing him would be even more suspicious. Besides. He hadn't exactly hung out with his best friend in a while. That in itself wasn't particularly uncommon- Axel was sporadic, jumping from one activity to another with the ease and sexual drive of upriver salmon.

But… The blonde frowned as he turned a corner (decorated with a bulletin board of crude vandalisms). Something was nagging at the back of his mind.

Then he realized that the center field, a huge stretch of grass that easily held twice the main school building, was full of people. Roxas blinked and took a few steps forward, looking for familiar faces. It looked like at least half the university crowd was here, easily the entire school.

"Roxas! You're just in time!" Demyx exclaimed, wrapping Roxas in a bear hug.

Said teen choked complacently while he waited for Demyx to let him go. "What's happening?"

"We're about to start the Organization Face-Off."

"Face Off?"

"Yeah, all the clubs are going to have to do an obstacle course relay. First one done gets room privileges."

"Not that it matters, the Student Council has it made," someone mentioned, off to the right.

Roxas turned his head towards the Student Council, usually garbed in the eye-catching black suede jackets with silver braid and lettering that was the university tradition for student governance.

The University Student Council only had five members. Marluxia was president, Larxene was vice president (her supporters said it was talent- Axel said Larxene just wanted use of the Student Council Room couch.) Penelo, an upbeat and determined girl sat as secretary, while moody and broody Saix was secretary-general, in charge of direct disciplinary action. And of course, there was Axel. Nobody would ever have a hard time picking him out from the crowd, Student Body Representative or not. All five of the members were on the grass in various stages of warm up exercises, their jackets tied around waists or draped over benches. Roxas guessed you couldn't exactly do an obstacle course in leather.

Penelo was stretching by herself, with a little help from another boy who didn't seem to be sure that he knew what he was doing. From the way the blonde girl was laughing and making little teasing remarks, he guessed they were friends. Penelo was surprisingly limber, managing to do a split and press her chest to the ground gracefully. Axel had mentioned she was in a dance group, didn't he? To her right, Saix and Larxene were jogging in place and having…a conversation. At least, Roxas thought it was one. There was too much teeth to tell. Larxene might've been laughing or snarling, but she _did_ pat one side of Saix's face almost fondly. Like a grandmother about to feed you poisoned apples.

Both Marluxia and Axel had been stretching individually. But as Roxas' eyes slid over to their side of the grass, Marluxia got up and walked over to where Axel was doing splits too (well enough to give Penelo a run for her money), his lips moving. The president had a pale blue towel slung about his shoulders and sunglasses tinted dark pink were jammed on top of his head. His long, curling hair was still down, though. Axel tilted his head up at him and smirked, saying something back. Abruptly, Marluxia pushed the redhead's skinny shoulders all the way down. Roxas winced. Axel never learned. Then again, Axel was bendy enough for it not to matter.

Demyx followed his line of sight and laughed. "Axel has a bet with Marluxia. Looks like they're still taunting each other about that."

"Really? What…uh, kind?"

The musician shrugged. "Who knows. You know Axel. If he doesn't want to, he won't say anything. He just sorta…slips the conversation around." Demyx stared thoughtfully off with a small frown.

"Ah, it's started!" A girl exclaimed. Roxas and Demyx looked around. Sure enough, Marluxia and ten other people were scaling a wall, a girl with a hat covering her face taking the lead. Marluxia may have been graceful, but he was still really _slow_. Larxene was yelling at him. Something about a flower and plants and taproots in unmentionable places. Larxene obviously shared a milder version of Axel's disregard for Marluxia's authority. Saix was under one of her black-nailed hands. He looked about ready to bite it off. If someone ever wrote a list of guys whom Larxene couldn't send to the Clinic with wet pants, Saix would be part of that very short list.

Marluxia made up for it in the next parts, though, and he managed to reach base two scant seconds after the first two. Larxene was off in a flash, almost a black and blonde blur, for all Roxas could see. She darted through the tires and the nets with barely a pause. It was inhuman. And everyone else was simply left staring at the split second path of lightning that had cut through the course. Penelo took the baton next, half-skipping through the course like a dancing child and ruthlessly precise like a pickpocket. She handed the stick to Saix with a smile and a cheerful phrase of encouragement. Saix nodded and brushed past her, single-mindedly intent. The other runners, the track team especially, were catching up on the lead Larxene had made. Saix cut through them, a wolf intent on the fold. He was slower than Penelo, though.

A smiling boy with bright eyes and spiky black hair overtook him as he rounded the course, loping ahead and barely weaving through the oncoming runners. "Whoops, sorry- uh, right, 'scuse me, coming through," he called out loudly, grinning. He waved over cheerily to the student council as he crashed into some of his teammates at the base.

"Zack, you idiot, learn how to _brake_ some time!" A muscled guy, presumably his upperclassman, punched his shoulder.

"Hey, I got here first, didn't- oh, yeah the baton!" He passed it on to a teammate who'd managed to avoid his one-man bulldozer routine. The guy nodded briefly as he ran past.

"Axel, get the shit ready. We'll win or I'll skin you alive," Saix yelled out as he neared the end of the course, dropping off the wall to save time.

Axel laughed, one hand outstretched, the wind carrying his voice over to them. "Sure you don't just want to wear me around your neck?" He smirked and took off before Saix could register his comment, hand closed around the baton. Whatever else could be said about Axel, he _was _fast. Not quite as much as Larxene, but a combination of long legs and a clever technique or two made him a strong contender. His movements were brisk, efficient to the point of being almost fluid. Axel slid off the wall at the end in a leap, half-run. He just managed to get there seconds before the guy from Zack's team.

Groans and cheers erupted from various sides in the crowd as the rest of the players ran in, drowning out the announcer's voice. A girl shrieked and threw something that might have been a pompom in the general direction of the teams.

"…Break to set up the next sport. All Tug of War players please proceed to…" the voice droned on. It sounded like a teacher. Roxas tuned out the rest of the announcement, figuring he wouldn't need it. If it was break time, though, he could walk up to Axel and give him back his game. The crowd was already dispersing, milling around, laughing and comforting the losers and extending praise to friends. Demyx was already next to the happy-go-lucky brunette from a while back, exchanging slaps on the back.

No time like the present. Roxas approached Axel, carefully casual. It felt a little strange. Even in a crowded place he felt strangely alone and alienated. The walk to Axel seemed to take ages.

Axel turned his head and noticed him. He tossed him a little wave and seemed to be engaged in conversation with Larxene. Roxas moved closer, returning the wave.

"…bite off your bits," Larxene finished with relish, once he got within earshot.

Roxas immediately decided he didn't want to know. Not that he ever had a choice in the matter.

Larxene's mascara was exceptionally thick today. It suited her, in a way, bringing out the bright electric blue of her eyes. Privately, Roxas would have betted that nobody had dared to utter the word 'panda' within hearing range, anyway.

"You'd have to pop me into your mouth first, darling," Axel noted with all the courage only a stupid man with twelve inches of steel between him and Larxene could have. Or an Axel.

Larxene's laugh was joltingly sweet- too sweet, edged with a lilt that could wax lyrical like a songbird- if songbirds had fangs. "Someone's going to be chewing on the furniture, sweetheart."

"Time they got the exercise, then." Axel grinned, giving off a patented air that usually meant someone in the very near future with some very sharp nails would make a bid for his neck.

Larxene batted a hand at the redhead and reached up to catch Axel's chin, twining about him like a cat. "Don't tell me I didn't say so," she purred, then released him, walking away.

"Every time I see Larxene, I'm glad she's mostly gay," Demyx commented, walking up towards them. One of his earphones was off, dangling over his left shoulder and threatening to dip into someone's drink and maybe take a couple of teeth along with it.

"You just don't know how to handle her, Dem." Axel winked, tucking something into his jacket pocket.

"She'd just bite my hands off. And I still need them, thanks." Demyx winced.

"Aw, Dem, you know you only really need one to jerk off properly."

"Yeah? Is this another one of the things you just pick up?" Demyx raised an eyebrow and grinned.

As Axel seemed likely to offer a long, detailed explanation (or maybe a demonstration), Roxas wondered if it was too late to pretend he didn't know either of them.

But Marluxia cut into the conversation suddenly, creeping up upon the trio with hardly a sound. "AXEL, DID YOU CONTRACT THAT VEHICLE?"

Axel leaned against a tree, shoving his hands into his jacket pockets and propping a boot on a ridged root, taking his time. "You mean the lube mobile?"

Marluxia glowered. He was covered from top to toe in something slick and transparent and smelled a lot like roses. His hair, neatly tied up for the games with a green clip chased with a subtle pattern of white flowered vines (nobody would have said 'girly' anywhere near him, either), was now plastered to his face and dripping with the viscous ….whatever it was.

Roxas discreetly took a few steps back.

His redheaded best friend, on the other hand, didn't seem to think there was anything wrong with standing within arm's length of the taller, more muscled, and very much pissed off student council president. If anything, his grin got cheekier. "Look at the bright side, Manho. With a stick that big up your ass, you'll need all the lube you can get."

Marluxia seethed, about to give a presumably scathing reply when someone saluted behind him.

"Er, excuse me, sir, the bandages guy left the truck in the middle of the field, sir, uhm, and everyone's kinda… the hoses…And uh, Vice Principal Xigbar got a hold of one and now he and Secretary Saix are…" One of the student disciplinary aides, broad of build and with a serious but well-meaning look on his face was standing a little behind Marluxia, seemingly unsure of how to report the situation.

A loud cheer went up from the general direction of the center field.

"A hundred on that Prof Luxy's taking bets over there," Axel drawled.

"Yessir, he's corrupting the freshmen, sir," the aide conceded, honest to a fault.

By now, Axel's grin was wide enough to fit both canary and its cage. "I win." For a second, something flashed in those tilted-narrow eyes that hinted another motive than correctly guessing a gambling professor's proclivities.

Marluxia's eye twitched. Then, he calmly, thoroughly squeezed the worst of the fluid off his hair and face, allowing it to drip down his back before stripping his jacket off. He threw the sopping wet leather straight at Axel, hitting the redhead's chest with a loud, wet smack.

"Knock yourself out." If homicidal intent were daggers, Axel would be a metal porcupine.

A tiny part of Roxas felt a sense of vindictive glee. The better part (which felt surprisingly a lot like Sora's voice) felt slightly guilty over the fact. Still, Axel couldn't say he didn't have it coming.

Green eyes blinked, then, picking the edge of it off delicately, Axel examined the lining. "Whaddya know, something that isn't pink and flowery." Without skipping another beat, he spun it once on one hand, splattering anyone within range and tossed it as high up as it could go, catching on the topmost branches of the tree above him. "Oops."

Marluxia had already left, stalking away like a large angry pink cat.

Axel only grinned like he'd been expecting it, stepping away from the tree.

Demyx looked up at where curious birds were pecking at the dripping jacket, wiping lube off his mouth with a sleeve and a grimace. "Uh, Axel, won't he be needing that?" He pointed towards the jacket.

"Guess he'll just have to give the crowd a good bottom up view," Axel said airily, clapping an arm around Demyx's shoulders.

Shaking his head a little, Roxas handed the redhead the game he'd borrowed. "Here, we finally defeated the last boss yesterday. You never told me it goes _berserk_. The entire party got killed before our turn came."

"Any idiot knows to buff up before a boss battle," Axel scoffed, tapping the case against a hip. The redhead's bag was probably on one of the tables scattered around the place, completely safe from any too-interested hands by virtue of being _Axel's_ and potentially combustible.

"Yeah," Roxas said, training his eyes on a distant tree, feeling more the idiot for entirely different reasons. Now that Axel was focusing on him, something felt off about talking to him. Like a ticking time bomb in a broom closet. He was almost afraid to meet Axel's eyes, to risk him finding out about his newly discovered and utterly hopeless crush.

"So, did you plan on sticking for the festivities?" Demyx asked, cheerfully fiddling with his mp3 player's controls until something bubbly blasted from his earphones, a tinny baritone voice yelling out "Darling it's better, down where it's wetter…" to a Sora-cheerful upbeat tune.

"You've got something on your mind," Axel said, his tone sly like a magician who knew which card was in your hand.

Knowing Axel had the inconvenient ability to be extraordinarily perceptive probably fueled at least part of the paranoia.

Forcing himself to laugh it off, Roxas shrugged. "Nah, I just came to return the game."

"Ohh?" Axel leaned over, hands on hips, gypsy eyes scrutinizing Roxas' face. Demyx yelped and gave a long-suffering sigh, allowing himself to be taken down with Axel.

Nearly panicking, Roxas knew he had to think up of something, quick. Something, anything, to get Axel off his case. "I was just wondering how you and Riku were going." Maybe not _anything_. He winced.

Axel blinked and whistled. "That's a new one. You're really that interested?"

"Uhm, no, I mean, I don't really see anything special about him...?" Roxas bit his tongue and ignored the Sora voice going "liars go to hell" in a tiny singsong voice.

"Nothing special? Maybe you haven't seen him the way I do, then." Axel's voice took on a mysterious quality, like he maybe-possibly had seen something intensely private about Riku. For a moment, Roxas felt a wild surge of jealousy mixed with a strange, despairing panic. His throat constricted as he cast about for something to say.

"Anyway, Rox, believe me, the plan's working like a charm." Axel grinned.

"That's…" Roxas nearly swallowed his own tongue, his mouth too dry. "Really great."

"Axel's got a new target, again?" Demyx cut in, tone interested. "Since it's you, you'll get him sooner or later. Are you going to join any of the other games today, though?"

"You could say that. And yeah, I think I got signed up on the Frisbee Competition and that thing with the Chocobos Jesse set up." Axel crossed his arms thoughtfully. "Too bad you're not in university yet, Rox, the Chocobos would love you. They might even turn up during family reunions."

"Kinda like that silver kitten that kept following Loz around," agreed Demyx. "Oh yeah, what about the free for all?"

"Groping and rolling on the ground with fifty odd guys? Wouldn't miss it for the world."

Roxas forced himself to calm down. Axel was acting normally. (As normal as Axel could get.) He should be, too. He hadn't done anything wrong. It wasn't like he kissed Riku or stole him away. Nobody ever needed to know what was in his head. Riku and Axel most of all.

---

Other girls had played house with dolls. Olette had always had the gang.

"Are you _sure_ you're alright?" Olette demanded, sharp-eyed and motherly.

"Like a peach tree. Just quit it, okay?" Roxas huffed and continued working on his last-minute math homework between toying with his lunch. He'd grabbed whatever was in the fridge this morning. Whatever turned out to be an apple, pink sugar cookies (for the girls), and a blueberry muffin. Roxas had picked at the first two before finally settling for the muffin. It was currently in his hand, uneaten but for a small bite.

They were all at the school cafeteria, enjoying a two-hour lunch break on a Wednesday due to an absent teacher. Pence was halfway through an impressive sub sandwich while Hayner had just finished off his first burger. Olette had a lunchbox with rice and something vaguely healthy, but she had barely touched it, opting instead to fuss over Roxas.

"Well," Olette dragged the word out, "I guess you can't be all that badly off if you're back to snarking at us."

"Roxas snarks like rain comes- whenever the hell he feels like it, all at once. Can I have some of that?" Hayner spoke up, making a bid for an omelet. Olette smacked his hands away with her chopsticks.

"Nice try, Hayner."

Namine, who was sitting with them today, giggled. She had her sketchbook out, as usual, her lunch already finished. How a delicate-seeming girl like Namine managed to eat a large turkey sandwich so fast was still beyond Roxas.

She looked over at him, feeling his gaze. "Olette's right, Roxas. You haven't been acting fine." She pointed at his lunch with a pencil. "You could even say you're acting like you're-"

"If you don't want it, I do!" Hayner cut in.

Roxas shrugged and pushed a pink sugar cookie towards him. He hadn't felt hungry in a long while. He couldn't even remember what he'd eaten for breakfast. Hayner ate the cookie with much gusto, the pink sugar frosting crumbling messily.

"Hayner, leave some for Roxas. He's going to be as bony as Axel at this rate," Olette scolded. "And you, Roxas, aren't you going to eat something?" She frowned, ready to work herself into a full blown fussing spree.

Roxas took the hint.

Sighing, the blonde bit into the muffin, blueberry preserves surging up from under the moist browned muffin top to smear around his lips. It was pretty good, now that he thought about it. Roxas licked it off impatiently, tongue darting out in a series of quick licks, and sucking his fingers for absent-minded good measure.

"Uh, Roxas?" Olette asked, interrupting the blueberry muffin's most orgasmic moment. "Riku's coming over."

That got his attention. The smart thing to do would have been to pretend he hadn't heard and very calmly say hello if Riku stopped by. What happened was Roxas jumping in his seat like a startled bird, the muffin squeezed in his hand. He dropped it back onto the paper sack it had come in and grabbed some tissues, wiping the worst of the jam off.

"Roxas?"

Garbling something about going to the restroom, he stood up and walked briskly to the nearest restroom, making a face as he washed sticky blueberry jam off his hands. He squeezed cheap soap out of the dispenser to his right, getting a good handful before lathering up.

_Smooth_, he chided, once he'd re-acquainted himself with his wits. If he had known liking someone would make him a loser force-fed a bowl of sugar and nerves, he would have taken more pains to avoid it.

Now that he was safely away from Riku, though, it struck him that the older boy probably never had any intention of stopping by. Or at least not for long. Roxas groaned to himself as he turned the faucet off.

Smooth _and_ smart. They should bestow him upon the freaking student council.

And still… he caught himself wondering what Riku looked like, that day. Would he be tired from a match? Homework? Thoughts of his father? Would he be actually remember to wear a belt? A shirt that reached his pants? Would his face glow like someone falling in love with a redheaded charmer?

He buried those nuggets of thought, feverishly hoping he never ran out of digging space.

"'sup, Rox!" Sora called out cheerfully, swinging into the boy's rest room. He was a mess of pizza stains and spaghetti sauce and what looked like part of a chocolate bar smashed on his shirt.

"Which Little Italy truck ran over you?" Roxas asked, mouth already quirking.

"Kairi was driving," Sora replied cheerfully, ducking his head under the faucet and letting a stream of water run through his hair to rid himself of the spaghetti sauce dripping off.

"…Did you give her the wrong compliment during Aerith's party or something?" Roxas asked, handing Sora some of the equally cheap tissue from the dispenser to dry his hair off. The shirt would be ruined. Their mother would be delighted for an excuse to shop for him.

"Nah. She challenged me to a food fight after Tidus said she was getting too proper. Riku came by and we ganged up on Tidus for starting the whole thing."

"Oh," Roxas said hollowly, nervously. With any luck, Sora hadn't seen him pause at 'Riku'.

"He was really broody, too. I mean, he's always been a little like that, but lately he's been really weird. Like he'd stop and stare off into space for minutes. His coach sent him home early, yesterday. Said he should get some sleep."

"Is he sick?" Roxas asked, a little alarmed. He hadn't noticed anything unusual, but then, he hadn't seen all that much of Riku, despite sharing his room with him.

"Hm? Well, we don't think so. Kairi has an idea, but she won't tell us. She just smiles and nods in that I-know-something way." Sora made a face. Clearly, Kairi shared Namine's particular trait.

Or was it as simple as that? Roxas looked down at the sink. Now that he knew, it was all too easy to imagine Riku dwelling on recent bad news from home.

"Is there something up, Roxas?"

"Huh?" A guilty little start.

"Well, nothing, but you and Riku seem a lot closer, now." Sora threw the used tissues into a bin, grabbing some more. "You wouldn't have given him the time of day, before."

"I can't help that the guy's in my room every night," Roxas replied automatically. Then he wanted to bang his head on the wall. He was lucky there wasn't anyone else around to hear his mouth run the track of stupidity.

Sora laughed, oblivious to the innuendo. "Yeah, that's true. But…I'm really glad, too."

"Why's that?" Roxas patted damp hands on the front of his pants.

Sora scratched his nose. "It's nothing much. I just noticed when we had that game night thing. Remember when we all sat around the living room in our pajamas?"

Roxas remembered that. The girls had been setting up a sheik's tent out of old blankets, trying to convince Sora into being the sheik. (They had elected to be dancing girls.) Riku and Roxas had been leaning against the couch, sprawled over the carpet with the instructions for Monopoly scattered on their stomachs, talking, their knees touching.

"Sometimes, he looks happy around you."

"Oh." And sometimes, something like that was crueler still.

---

"You know, we're not really complaining, but you've been hanging out with us a lot, lately," Pence said thoughtfully. After Roxas returned, the entire group had moved to a tree-shaded spot on the grass. "Is everything okay with you and Axel?""

Roxas' mechanical pencil lead snapped. "Yeah, we're fine. Just went over to the campus the other day." He nonchalantly replaced it with a new one, placing it in the barrel before screwing the top closed. Then he returned to looking at the messy expanse of his math notebook. He had so many erasures, it would be a miracle if their teacher could read his solutions. She'd comment on it for sure. Roxas' work was usually fairly neat. And he wouldn't be able to give her an excuse. His mind just wandered, these days, and he'd notice a careless mistake halfway through every solution. But monotonous, numeric math was better than literature. He couldn't even bear to think about writing a three page essay on his 'feelings' in the state he was in.

"Hmm," Olette hummed. She leaned over Roxas' notebook, a brown braid flopping onto the pages. "So if it's not friend trouble, what's been on your mind lately? Sora doesn't look like you guys had a fight."

"I haven't gotten into any fights," Roxas said. And he didn't intend to.

Namine spoke up beside Olette. "Not even with Riku?" It was a gentle question. Namine probably still remembered the basketball incident Roxas had mentioned.

"He's been fighting with Riku? Really?" Hayner sat up. "Isn't Sora going to flip?"

Roxas was beginning to wish he had. It would have been a lot easier to deal with.

"Speaking of- Axel did that thing with the flagpole the last time some college guy tried to pick a fight with Roxas, right?"

"I haven't fought anyone," Roxas declared loudly. And that college guy had been an idiot. Roxas still wasn't sure he liked that Axel had taken it upon himself to prank him. Axel said he had done it because the guy's face was too symmetrical. People stopped trying to bully Roxas when he was on the college campus after that.

"So you're not having friendship troubles, you haven't gotten into a fight, it's not a family thing, and you're not sick. That just leaves us with one option," Olette said dramatically, pausing.

"You're in love."

For a moment, nobody said a thing. Then Pence snorted and Hayner started laughing. Roxas stared, hoping his face wouldn't give him away.

"Roxas doesn't fall in love, 'lette. That's like Lulu giving Wakka a chance." Hayner chortled, hand clutching his side. "He's like our Ice Princess."

"She'd have to be pretty darn special," Pence agreed.

Olette tucked a braid over her shoulder. "It could happen. Why else is he acting like this?"

Namine smiled, suddenly, and leaned her face on a hand. "I agree. And…" she grinned, "I think Roxas knows it."

"I… I don't know what you're talking about," Roxas finished weakly.

Hayner looked at him, then at Namine, neatly sketching something in her drawing pad. "You're _serious_? Who is it?"

"Do we know her? Give us a couple of hints, here."

"Nami, you'll tell us, right?" Olette inquired, grabbing her friend's hands.

"Roxas will tell you. When he's ready." Namine put a finger to her lips and winked.

Hayner groaned. "Who knows how long that'll take?"

Namine shrugged, still smiling. "You'll get time to get used to it." She tore off the page she had been working on when Hayner flopped back onto the grass, folding it twice, neatly, and slipping it inside Roxas' notebook.

Roxas hunkered down against the tree and asked the sky why girls had to have a sixth sense for these things.

And unfolding the paper later, he decided that they must have been demons in their past life.

---

Technically, you weren't allowed to skateboard on the school steps, but Roxas had always taken care to choose one of the little-used spots.

It was nearly the end of the week and the incessant tug of war between wanting to see Riku and not wanting to betray Axel was starting to wear on him. His sleep seemed too light, and he was getting a little jumpy, half-afraid that someone would know.

Restless, he went to his favorite practice spot a little off to the side and behind one of the old school buildings, skateboard under one arm. The place was deserted, as usual, nothing but pavement and leaves and the occasional soda can some careless student threw. (Olette would frown if she saw it.) The only things that were new were some old tarpaulin signs rolled up against the fence on the far side. The rest was just as it had been when he'd last been there. Old boxes, slightly rusted railing, benches, and of course, the wide, smooth steps that led into the building- perfect skateboarding obstacles.

Roxas set his board down, admiring the sleek black and silver design for a moment before stepping on and starting his warm-up routine.

…Turn, turn, heel flip, up platform, down stairs, jump… and clapping?

Roxas turned, nearly missing his landing target. Riku stood on the path, hair tied back and in a t-shirt with the sleeves rolled up over his smooth biceps. "I didn't know you practiced around here." The sunlight seemed to streak through the air to strike him just so.

"Sometimes," Roxas replied, too dazed to remember that the last thing he wanted to see right now was Riku.

"Listen, Roxas, about last Saturday," Riku began, walking up. His left arm remained by his side, tucked into a pocket.

Roxas backpedaled instinctively, slipping and almost spraining his ankle in his haste. His skateboard skittered over to the side. Roxas ran to get it gratefully, keeping his back turned towards Riku so he couldn't see the embarrassed blush on his face.

"I'm, uh, not usually that clumsy," Roxas informed him impulsively. Silly as it was, he didn't want Riku thinking he was entirely inept. The blonde was actually pretty good at it, even if he didn't practice all that often, lately. A part of him reminded him that several weeks earlier, he wouldn't have given a damn.

Riku's shadow across the wall told him how stupid it was to corner himself against a wall. Roxas stepped onto his skateboard, sliding away from him.

"Roxas, wait." But the older teen bent and caught his wrist, the one with the checkered band around it, firmly, preventing him from going any further. Roxas looked up and realized he was eye level with Riku, staring straight into his eyes. He could see subtle shadowed circles around the vibrant eyes, the faint redness that lined them. And he wanted to ask, wanted to demand he go to bed, wanted to see what they'd look like if he kissed him right now. For a moment, he leaned in, the line of his body softening into Riku's, lips parting.

A bird darted by, chirping.

Roxas jolted, resting one hand on Riku's shoulder and pushing away instead. His heart thudded in his throat, choking back the irrational disappointment and fear. Riku let go of his wrist in surprise.

"Sorry, guess I'm not really well enough to practice, today. I'll see you, okay?" It was too dangerous to stay.

One foot on the ground, he pushed off, speedily making his escape, his heart still hammering. What had he been doing?

Trying to kiss his best friend's true love, that's what. Roxas laughed. It only lasted a second.

---

On the way back, he passed by McDuxe Ice Cream Shop. He paused, considering the posters. A larger-than-life banana-cherry split graced most of the left window display, obscuring most of the people inside.

_Why not?_ He deserved a huge ice cream sundae after the past few days. The doors automatically slid open with a pneumatic hiss as soon as his shoe met the mat, cold air hitting his face from inside.

He barely glanced up as he walked in, an order already set in his mind. With his head ducked, he absently started to double check for his wallet, running straight into someone's back in the process.

"Ah!" He slipped, grabbing onto the person's shoulders reflexively to stop his fall. Sorry," the blonde muttered, quickly straightening. His bag had opened and showered its contents all over the floor- books to the right, a half-eaten cookie to the left, some pens, an old popsicle stick, and a couple of crumpled bits of paper fanned across the expanse of the store's vinyl tiles.

"There are smoother entrances," Balthier noted, his lips twisted into an amused smile as he looked down at Roxas' flabbergasted face. He held a plastic bag with a tub of ice cream in it. It was probably one of the marble-mixed ice creams. Roxas couldn't be sure what flavor, though.

He _should have_ looked out of place, a guy like him belonged in bars and clubs. He was dressed in a khaki jacket over a black shirt and black pants , looking for all the world like a college student who frequented ice cream shops on a daily basis.

Surprise melted rapidly into a scowl. If only… maybe if Balthier had never told him… he'd be still blissfully ignorant. It wasn't exactly a rational thought. But the idea comforted Roxas as he stiffly bent to pick up his scattered things.

Balthier's weird pointed boots weren't moving. Roxas looked up, exasperated. There were a few things scattered beneath the man and the last thing he wanted was to get underneath someone suspicious enough to be one of Axel's circle of club friends.

"Can you move? I need to get my stuff."

"Looks like you figured something out, hm?" Balthier crossed his arms over his chest and smirked. He also moved.

Glaring, Roxas picked up his things. "You're not all-knowing."

"I don't need to be."

"You just wish you were," Roxas bit out, pointedly stalked past the man and back out the door, appetite gone.

"You're just running into yourself, you know," Balthier remarked to the thin air, just before Roxas left. "Things get out. You might be surprised, how it turns out for the best."

"Screw you," Roxas said blithely

It wasn't that he didn't know. It just didn't matter if he did.

---

Gulping down several spoonfuls of dinner in record time, Roxas got up from the table, taking his dishes to the sink. Their mother raised an eyebrow at him, before calmly taking another bite of steak. The girls were busy trying to braid Riku's hair, while Sora was still focused on chewing his dinner manageably.

This sort of thing couldn't last forever. Realistically speaking, it shouldn't have even lasted as long as it did. Roxas sighed and mechanically rinsed the plates, popping the dishwasher open to slot the ceramics in.

"Roxas, you okay? You kinda ran out on me…And you barely ate anything."

Roxas didn't turn around. Was afraid to. His hands trembled involuntarily, nearly dropping his plates. Nervous didn't even begin to describe things.

'Y-yeah, I think I'll go to bed early. I really don't feel a lot like eating anything more."

Riku bent beside him, the half-braid messily spilling over his shoulder. The girls were still trying to master the art of braiding, although Yuffie was definitely showing a lot more aptitude for it. He placed a cool hand on Roxas' forehead, checking his own. Roxas' mind blanked out for a moment. He tried to shift his gaze around the room, only to wind up looking at Riku in a way he hoped was natural. Had Riku always had that tiny mole, a little down his collar? It looked out of place, like an accidental drop of paint on a marble statue. And Roxas had the strange urge to touch it. Almost as much as to straighten out the tangled silver braid.

"You don't feel like you have a fever," Riku said.

"Stomachache,"Roxas said promptly.

"You ate a lot for it," Riku pointed out. He frowned, although Roxas only knew it because he'd been staring at Riku's lips. "What's going on? Are you-"

"Look, just- just leave it, okay? I really need to go to- to the toilet," Roxas interrupted, straightening up and banging his knees on the dishwasher. He winced and headed upstairs.

---

Walking out of his last class (Geography, where they learned who had what names on the map), Roxas wondered how long he could keep avoiding Riku on paper thin excuses. He'd had to submit himself to the tender mercies of the girls last night, Riku's eyes boring a hole right through him, the occasional hinting comment making his stomach knot tensely. Maybe it was karma for lying about a stomachache.

The rest of the school was already congregating at the main entrance- those halls were packed at dismissal time. Deciding that he really didn't want to elbow his way through a crowd at this point, Roxas turned into a side hall. This route was the long way around and exited west of the school- it was usually faster than waiting for things to clear out up front.

As an added bonus, the deserted halls lessened the chance of meeting anyone, particularly people whom you didn't have answers for. Nobody ever took the side way, most of them preferring the throng where they could meet up and chat with their friends before going home. Nobody until now.

"Hey." Riku stood against a classroom wall, arms crossed. He had the hood of his black sweater up, covering his eyes. He pushed it down once he saw Roxas.

"Hey," Roxas repeated. The blonde's first instinct was to make a run for it. Riku must have been thinking the same thing, because he strode over to where he was, backing him slowly against a corner of the wall, where it bent to lead to the exit.

And he probably should have seen this coming.

"You've been avoiding me," Riku said flatly, eyes bright and sharp. His arm smacked into the wall just beside Roxas' head, his body leaning in so it almost pressed Roxas into the corner.

"That'd be hard, when you're staying with us," Roxas pointed out evasively, examining the journalism club poster on the opposite wall and hoping Riku would drop the subject. Having so much of Riku nearly an inch from him was as uncomfortable as it was exciting. The now-familiar scent, the way his hair fell over his eyes, the goddamn body heat that seemed to worm its way inside his clothes, touching the chilled skin.

"You…Is it…something I said?" The confusion that flashed across that face was almost as painful as having him so close. Shit. He _had_ run out on Riku so many times after Riku had told him, practically entrusted him with his secret. He could only imagine what that must have looked like to the other. The way he'd been avoiding him would seem like a rejection of his character, rather than the fading out that Roxas had hoped for.

"It's not…" Roxas began quickly, then faltered, his eyes dropping. What could he say? That he had the hots for him and was trying to keep from jumping his bones so Axel wouldn't skin him alive? (Axel wouldn't, but he usually made you feel that was the more merciful option.) Biting his lip, Roxas cast about for an excuse. But his mind was completely blank, a wall of plain brick, his quick thinking scattered on the wind that brought Riku's breath to his neck.

"I…I…"

Riku's face closed up. Except his eyes. Never his eyes. There was something like hurt, there, and a strange, cold anger. "I thought…" He shook his head and drew away, his hair falling over his eyes. "Whatever, Roxas."

"I'm going back to the house," Riku continued. Roxas knew he didn't mean the one he and Sora lived in. "I told Sora and your mom, already. You obviously can't stand me around there anymore, so it all works out."

Riku paused, almost hesitant. And Roxas had the feeling it was his one last chance to say something, to clear up the misunderstanding. But he couldn't. Nothing spontaneously bubbled to his lips, no comforting words or instant saving lines. He wasn't that kind of person. He wasn't some cheesy romance novel hero. And a tiny, despairing voice told him it was better, this way.

"Bye." Riku walked away.

Standing dumbfounded in the hallway, Roxas' knees buckled a little under him, his bag sliding to the floor and the back of his shirt and pants scraping against the wall.

Well. He got what he wanted, after all.

Fate was just a damn bitch about it.

--------------------------------

**Notes & Rambles**:

Lube Mobile (http : / www . lubemobile . com . au / OR feast your eyes on their griptastic van www. hotfrog . com . au / Uploads / Companies / 1981image . jpg) just take out the spaces. Credit for introducing lube mobile to me (and getting LINKS) goes to Zebbie, Dirty Diz Disciple and cracktastic conspirant. She's also responsible for telling me about The Black Mages, which is an actual band that does remixes of Final Fantasy music, I hear.

And while we're pimping: AXEL HOTEL., BANG FOR YOUR BUCK. XD Google it. If you dare.

For all the Final Fantasy fans:

**Wakka Meets the Parents**

Lulu: This is my mom. She's an evil sorceress.

Wakka: H-hello, ma'am!

Edea: Such a sweet boy. My Lulu's told me all about you.

Wakka: R-really?

Edea: Yes. I'm sure you'll make a fine addition to the stuffed toys I've made for her.

Wakka: meeps

Come on, we all know Lulu got that dress and style _somewhere_. Also, Hayner is so much dorky dialogue win. Did anyone notice all the subtle shifts in this chapter? There are quite a few. How about FF9 charas? They're not called by name, just a glimpse, here and there. We're wrapping up so a lot of things are coming back, in, full circle. Even if we're still waiting for a one very important plot point.

And the next chapter:_An Ever_ **Downward Spiral  
**

**Encourage** the Author, Leave a **Review**. XD


	8. Downward Spiral

**Nobody's Fool**

_Fantacination _

**Trick VIII**

_An Ever_** Downward Spiral**

**----------**

Their living room had been hijacked and converted into an evil lair by pink pixies. Very pink pixies. And maybe an elephant pimp with an ostrich feather-wearing rajah in a tutu on top.

Roxas blinked and tried not to get sparkling rainbow glitter on his face. The garland of paper cut-out flowers on yarn pasted above the door wasn't having any of it and determinedly sprinkled glitter down at him. He tried to dust away the tiny speckles, but only succeeded in getting them caught in his eyelashes. Great. Roxas' Rock Band, phase one: glitter mascara.

He might've gone on in that vein for a while, (anything, anything to distract him) but just then, Pink Pixie Number One deigned to take notice of the glittery blonde boy at the threshold.

Roxas stared blankly as Selphie marched up to him, cheeks pink and puffed up into an angry pout while she put her tiny fists on her hips.

"Why did you kick Riku out?" she asked bluntly, staring up at Roxas with her eyebrows scrunched into a disbelieving scowl. "He says you didn't want him to stay with us anymore."

"That's…" Not true. But that would just make Selphie ask more questions. Ones that he couldn't even begin to answer. The blonde shook his head, half to himself, and sidestepped the little girl to cross the living room. The floor right in front of the couch had sustained the worst of the little girl's latest creative project. Yuffie was frowning at him, too, though it hadn't stopped her from continuing to drown her string of paper cutouts in pink glitter glue. Several empty packers of pink glitter lay scattered to her side, their contents evenly coating the carpet and upholstery.

Mom would have a fit. Or she'd keep it that way. Roxas felt too tired to care about the cleaning up. Everything would be quieter when the girls were picked up by their parents- only a few days from now, if the last letter was anything to go by. At least he'd stop fearing for his life whenever he stepped outside of his room.

"I don't like you anymore!" Selphie declared from where she was still standing by the doorway.

Roxas looked at her and sighed, turning towards the stairs. "Neither do I."

---

In the end, he wasn't quite sure what he had been expecting. He had mechanically done his homework and gotten to bed, trying his best not to notice the suddenly clear patch of space in his room, or the heavy silence at night when nothing broke it but his own breathing. He had wondered if Riku was alright. Smacked himself with a pillow for the thought and wondered if Riku was staying up, too.

It wasn't until the next day, with a party hat strapped to his head (they'd put it on him before he woke up) that it really hit Roxas what the girls had been doing.

"I can't believe you almost forgot your own birthday!" Reiko scolded, placing a generous piece of Oreo cheese cake on his plate. It had checkered icing on its thick cream cheese and graham base and small, deep pink rosettes that were probably the girls' work. The iced rainbow letters proclaiming 'Happy Birthday, Roxas!' were his mother's.

Turning, she then cut a generous slice from the second birthday cake. There were always two, and Roxas wondered how it could've slipped his mind why his mother was gone last afternoon. The other cake was extra-rich chocolate, a cascade of chocolate shavings massed on top and oozing dark, syrupy chocolate filling. Sora's cake, as always.

"I…I've been really busy?" he tried. He dug a fork into the cake, raising it to his lips.

She gave him a look. "Well, if you're going to forget your own birthday, I suppose it might as well be for love."

Roxas choked on a rose.

His mother smiled beatifically at him and handed him a glass of milk.

"A little hard to swallow?"

There were so many things wrong with that question that he wasn't going to bother answering. He gulped the milk down and settled for glaring at her.

In a rare display of motherly tact, Reiko didn't say anything more. Apparently she had moved on from protective concern to businesslike berating, in bite-sized pieces.

Having sliced pieces for both girls (who had announced temporary truce with Roxas for the birthday) and herself, she patted her hands down her apron, smiling. "Now then, when do you boys want to start opening presents? I asked everyone to send their presents over. Olette was very helpful. Sweet girl."

Sora polished off his slice of birthday cake in record time and looked around. There was a small pile of presents for each of them on the kitchen counter. His eyes lit on the skateboard-shaped parcel in red paper, grinning. "You got that, didn't you?"

"You can stop borrowing mine, now," Roxas pointed out. He was glad he'd had just enough time after waking up to slip his own gift into Sora's pile.

Laughing, his dark-haired twin sifted through the pile, opening each at the table in between bites of his second piece of cake. Tanned fingers tore into delicate paper, ripping tape and ribbon off with barely a thought. Occasionally Sora'd make little exclamations muffled by cake. "Tides go'a DVD," he mumbled cheerfully, waving the thin plastic case containing two seasons of Reborn.

Roxas went through his own pile, starting off neatly taking the gift wrap apart and, getting tired of that, impatiently tearing off the rest. He smiled a little at the games Hayner and Pence got for him- most likely to be borrowed before the week was over- and sighed in exasperated fondness over the small planner Olette insisted on giving everyone this year. It wasn't bad looking, as far as planners went, with a midnight blue cover and a smattering of silver stars on ivory pages, but Olette's crusade to make them more organized wasn't getting anywhere soon. Bemused, he reached Sora's gift, a couple of new deluxe edition CDs- 'because music soothes the grumpy Roxas' was scrawled on the inside along with Sora's energetic signature. He shot his twin a small smile, only to see him unwrapping a familiar looking game.

"Huh, how did Riku know I wanted this one?"

Shifting in his seat uneasily, Roxas tried for a neutral expression while reaching for the next randomly chosen present. It was candy, from… Kairi? That was odd. He glanced over at Sora again, only to find him opening a similar, but much bigger parcel from the girl. It contained, in addition to candy, a key chain of Thalassa shells arranged in a star, the center etched with a face that looked a lot like Kairi and a card that made Sora blush.

Turning back, Roxas examined his dwindling pile. Three left. He could tell who those were from without looking at the tags. The daintily-wrapped parcel on the left was from Namine (a book, from the shape), the professionally wrapped box in the center was from his mother (she wouldn't wrap anything, if she could help it), and the last one screamed 'Axel' from the casual grunge-print gift bag to the mysteriously-shaped contents. It came with a card stuck into the side: 'Happy Birthday, Rox. Congratulations, you're one year away from not being jailbait. – Axel' There was a post script… 'You can open it, you know. Might find a use sooner than you think…'

He read the rest of the post script and looked at the gift-wrapped bulk in an entirely different light. Not for the first time in years of friendship, Roxas wondered where the city incinerator was. With a deep sense of ominous foreboding, Roxas decided that opening that one could wait for later. Much later. Maybe someday when he wouldn't be charged with public indecency for owning it.

So he unwrapped the book: 'The Closet, The Nile, and Other Cliches of Coming Out'. And hastily stuffed the thick tome beneath the wrapping paper before his mother could see and approve.

And that left… his mother's. It was surprisingly straightforward: an mp3 player. He regarded it suspiciously. His mother did not just give nice, _normal_ things to her sons. There had to be a trick to it _somewhere_. A hidden booby trap that would pop up at the most embarrassing and opportune moment.

"I didn't plant aphrodisiacs in it," Reiko protested.

Roxas humored her. "Thanks, mom." He fiddled with the gadget, checking out the contents. Ah, _there_ it was. Roxas grimaced as he found a folder labeled 'Educational Material' and saw tiny but sharp pictures of… well… whatever was probably in Namine's book in more graphic detail.

_It could be worse_. But then, he wasn't exactly lucky, these days.

---

Monday came phlegmatically. Their mother had rushed out for a quick job around early morning of Sunday and wasn't going to be back until noon today, but between Roxas and Sora, they'd somehow managed to clean up a little and feed everyone on take out. He was just glad that his mother had arranged for a real, capable, and triple background-checked babysitter for Ashe. Neither he nor Sora would ever have been able to take care of a baby.

He got out cereal and milk for everyone, frowning slightly when he realized they were out of Peanut Butter Crunch and folding the empty package with a couple of efficient turns before depositing it in the trash. He made a mental note to get Sora to take the trash out later.

Selphie and Yuffie, perched on their stools, still threw him as many dirty looks as eight year old little girls could muster, apparently having banded together on this topic firmly. Sora, on the other hand, hadn't said a word. That was probably the most worrying. Roxas still had no idea what Riku told Sora about his withdrawal from their house, but as long as Sora didn't seem to be punching him for unspeakable crimes against his best friend, he supposed that he really didn't have to know right now.

Sora had arrived home shortly after he had last Friday, he remembered, but made no comment apart from "Riku said he went back." Sora, Roxas remembered, thought Riku should work things out at home. That might be why he wasn't particularly incensed at the idea. That, and their birthday had probably pushed the thing temporarily out of mind.

"I'm going first," he announced when Yuffie looked like she was about to test just how far back you could bend a spoon loaded with milk and cereal before letting it go.

Sora nodded distractedly, only on his second bowl. "Sure, see you there."

School, funnily enough, was the same as ever. The same groups, cliques, and random antics in the entrance hall, the same teachers filing in with amused or disapproving looks at the pre-classes chaos, and the same usual morning discussion from Hayner, Pence, and Olette.

"Come on, please, 'lette? I promise I'll do mine next time!" Hayner pleaded, holding his hands out at Olette beseechingly.

"That's what you _always_ say, Hayner. We had this homework for weeks and all you did was play video games!" The girl put her hands on her hips and scowled meaningfully.

"But I was this close to beating the game! I couldn't just let it sit there and mock me, all smug and 'You Loser' at me!"

"Riiiight, you sure that it isn't because Seifer got a better score last time at the arcade?"

"Hey, Roxas," Pence interrupted, distracting them both.

Roxas nodded back, walking to his locker just a few steps away from the group.

"No beanie today?" Olette teased.

"Good riddance," Hayner muttered.

Roxas shook his head and took out a couple of textbooks from his locker, wedging the paper he'd just barely managed to write in between the pages.

"See, Roxas did it, too," Olette pointed out triumphantly.

"You can still type something up by class time if you skip lunch," Pence offered.

"Some friends you are," Hayner said darkly, giving up. Used to the reaction, Olette and Pence laughed, shoving Hayner's shoulders lightly and grinning until they noticed Roxas wasn't.

"Hey, you okay?" Pence tapped Roxas' shoulder.

"Uh, yeah. Just a little…" he trailed off.

"Lovesick, that's what!" Hayner crowed, pointing and rapidly shifting the topic from himself.

"You still haven't told us who she is," Pence agreed.

"It's… not like that," Roxas protested, looking around for a diversion.

A distance away, Riku strode in, catching people's attention. His hair was left messily free over his shoulders, his clothes the usual baggy affair. A few of the other guys, athletes, waved at him, calling out loud, casual greetings. Riku smiled at them. Small smiles. And laughed at some of their suggestive jokes at why he was later than usual this morning. His posture was relaxed, slightly leaned back as he conversed with friends, the picture of a healthy, normal, and popular athlete.

It was surprising how low and slightly spiteful that made Roxas feel. It didn't matter anyway, since that was quickly replaced with a mixture of guilt and a perverse longing to catch a closer look. Roxas turned away before he took too many steps in the right direction.

"I'm going to class first," he said briefly, taking off. His friends looked around in confusion, seeing nothing that might've prompted Roxas to decide to get to class early.

Stubbing his toe on the base of a water fountain, he realized that school was normal probably because nothing had really changed. Everything was as it should be. Like it had been.

Except he had been left behind. Changed.

Roxas stormed up the stairs in record time. His classroom was on the third floor, west wing. The path was so familiar, he almost didn't notice banging into the small, coat-bundled figure that was Vivi.

"Sorry," Roxas mumbled, still a little tetchy from the hallway not-encounter and vaguely certain that he had absolutely no business being so. Which only made him a little wistful and a whole lot crankier, really.

The little squeak of reply he got was enough to snap him back into attention. He blinked and reached down to lend the smaller boy a hand.

"Th-thanks, Roxas." Vivi scrambled to pick up a plastic bag bulging with photocopied notes.

Vivi was a small, slight boy with black hair and very large amber eyes. Bright eyes that you could almost swear glowed in the right light. He was an advanced student, he recalled. He skipped a couple of years or three and become a bully target for his pains. If it weren't for Seifer's gang, he would have ended up stuffed in a locker or a dumpster somewhere on a daily basis. Which was probably a good thing.

Except, of course, when Seifer's gang wasn't actually around in the first place. Roxas frowned. Seifer always kept his pack close and on parade, but here Vivi was, sprawled all over the floor, without a skullcap, bared navel, or protein-enhanced bicep in sight.

"Where are the others?"

"I don't kn-know," Vivi said, tugging at his sleeves anxiously. "They just left, saying they were going off to do s-secret stuff and then I h-had to get their photocopies."

And they left the kid here ostracized without a reason, in the dark and vulnerable? They were supposed to be friends, or at least _gangmates_ together. Roxas scowled. Trust Seifer to hit one of his pet peeves right on the mark. "Friends shouldn't do that," he said firmly. "They don't keep things you have to know hidden and just tell you to do stuff like that." It occurred to Roxas that he was probably botching up this little life lesson, irate as he was. Vivi could choose to be a skullcap groupie if he wanted to, regardless of Roxas' own view. He clamped his mouth shut reluctantly.

"But they take care of me, too," Vivi said softly, hugging the photocopies' bag to his chest like a little boy with a teddy bear.

"If you say so." He grudgingly acknowledged that Seifer probably wasn't all that bad, as somewhat stuck up minion gatherers went, if he got Vivi to stick up for him, too.

That didn't mean he wasn't going to offer to assist Hayner in his latest game of Spit the Seifer later, though.

Smiling shyly, Vivi nodded at him and scurried off.

There was a 'kick me' sign taped onto his back.

Roxas shook his head and hoped nobody else saw it, for Vivi's sake. At least Seifer's gang was harmlessly unimaginative.

Axel would have written 'dick me'.

---

By third period, Roxas had cooled off. He listlessly doodled in his notebook, not bothering to take any notes (it was all in the book, anyway) and engaging himself in the fantastic spectator sport of count the vandalisms. Except he kept losing count before he reached twenty.

"Psst, Roxas!" Hayner hissed, tossing a scrunched up ball of paper at Roxas' head. Roxas let the paper bounce off, watching it roll off his desk by its own momentum.

"Yeah?"

"What's wrong with you? Are you still hung up on your new crush?"

Roxas considered telling him in excruciating detail. Then he decided he really liked his eardrums and they _were_ in class.

"It's none of your business, Hayner." It never paid to be indirect with his friend.

Hayner looked comically offended. "Of course it is. You're a hat-haired idiot, but you're _our_ hat-haired idiot. You know we'd help set you up with her if you'd just tell us her name!"

Roxas heaved a little sigh and set his pen down. He glanced at his book and realized with faint and familiar horror that scattered on the margins was a single meandering word: 'Riku'

He tore it out immediately, ignoring Hayner's puzzled look. This sort of thing was useless, anyway.

---

When he got home, his mother was back and packing the girls' bags.

"The Kisiragi's are coming to pick both of them up tomorrow at around three," she said, rolling up a fluffy pink pajama set, two sunny yellow dresses, and a skirt in eye-stinging purple before shoving the whole thing into the plastic pink pony suitcase the girls had brought.

His mother had always had a very distinct way of packing. She claimed it was a trade secret of field journalists. Sora said she was just too lazy to fold. Either way the girls didn't seem to mind the fact that she was making all their clothes into candy-colored sushi rolls.

"Oh, could you check the cookies? I think I left them a little too long…" Reiko trailed off. Roxas went down the stair immediately. The last time his mother had left things a little too long, his father's pants had gotten a new, strategically-placed and distinctly iron-shaped hole.

Much to his relief, The Oven liked his mom a lot better than it did Roxas. He shoved his hands into the large, cherry-shaped oven mitts and lifted the tray of finished cookies (on the toasty side of a little burnt) and set it on the table. He could see chocolate chip, macadamia, gingerbread and butter cookies laid out semi-neatly in lines Van Gogh might've been proud of.

"Can I have one?" Yuffie asked, popping into the kitchen from the living room. She had a new Moogle doll clutched in her hand, the fat, cheery red nose (only slightly smaller than it's bouncing pompom) thrust out in the general vicinity of his pants. Her dark hair was disheveled in the way only active little girls could do it.

"It's still too hot."

"Don't care," the little girl replied brightly, clambering onto a stool. Roxas sighed and helped her up.

She grabbed a star-shaped cookie from the tray and tossed it from one small hand to the other, blowing on it rapidly. "Owwowow," she yelped happily, taking small bites.

"Told you so," Roxas said, not without a touch of pragmatic smugness.

"Still don't care," Yuffie replied stubbornly. "We're going home, tomorrow. Mommy sent us a letter with the dolls. Her name's Mogisha. Selphie has Mog. They're twins. Like you and Sora."

Roxas tried to keep up with the subject changes and suspected he failed miserably.

"Uh, yeah?"

Yuffie nodded, mouth full of cooling cookie, and brandished a letter at him. "A letter came for you and Sora, too. From your dad."

Slipping the letter from cookie-crumbed fingers, Roxas examined the address. Terra. He didn't recognize it. It figured his father would be at some out of the way place with no connectivity again.

He placed it on the table, where Sora wouldn't miss it. They could open it later. It would probably be full of vaguely interesting things like what animal they were stalking and recording for posterity at the moment.

"We still don't like that you ran Riku out," Yuffie said suddenly, kicking her legs under the chair and up.

"He walked out on his own." Roxas decided that he liked Yuffie better when she was nursing her seedling cookie-based masochism.

"But we still like _you_, you. And mommy says you should never leave people angry, because you never know when you'll see them again. Plus, it's not good for dee-pony-macy," she said gravely, snapping the head neatly off of a gingerbread man.

There was something wrong with the world, Roxas decided, when little girls talked to you about 'deeponymacy'. Roxas sighed and took a nutty cookie from the tray. It was only mildly finger-burning, now, so he took a bite and considered his options.

"I'm not angry at either of you or anything," he said. Most of the two-day war had been on the side of the girls, after all.

"Great!" Yuffie exclaimed and took five more cookies from the tray, lifting her shirt up a little into a makeshift basket so she could put them there instead of holding them in her hands. "For Selphie, Mog, and Mogisha," she said primly, before skipping back to the living room.

Sora came in a little after, Ashe sleeping cradled in his arms. "Mom picked her up before she came here," he said, indicating the baby.

After a lot of scolding and some yelling, the sturdy little old lady their mother had commissioned had at least managed to train Sora how to hold a baby right. (She'd given up on Roxas as something of a lost cause. Roxas maintained that it was hard to concentrate on relaxing when you were juggling a china doll-delicate little girl on one hand and a screeching matron on the other, ambidextrous or not.)

"Did you and Riku have a fight?" Sora asked uncertainly as he gently took a seat. Ashe shifted in her white blanket cocoon, yawning and throwing a tiny hand out before curling up again.

Ah. Here it was then. He knew the lack of comment wouldn't last.

His twin looked up at him expectantly.

Roxas hesitated. But this was _Sora_. He deserved some kind of answer, at least. "…Not exactly. He kind of came to his own conclusions."

Sora's lips turned slightly down, the way it did when he was trying to figure something out.

"You haven't talked to him about it? Riku's a nice guy and all, but he does that a lot. Kairi says he needs to give people a chance, but he never does."

Shrugging and feeling that lead weight get perceptibly heavier in his belly, Roxas placed the cherry oven mitts back onto a rack. "It…"_ was for the best_, "didn't really matter," he finished.

"'Course it matters," Sora said simply, "You'll always be my brother and he'll always be my best friend. It'll _always_ turn up. It's not like he refused to talk about you _before_." Sora rolled his eyes a little.

"You talk about me?"

"…You _are_ my brother, you know." Sora shifted Ashe in his arms (she looked like she was slipping).

"Oh." That was… a little weird to know about. He took another bite from the cookie. It crumbled in his mouth like ash and sand.

They had several seconds of Ashe drooling on Sora's shoulder. (It was a good thing he wasn't wearing his favorite shirt. Just a plain old blue one with his baggy gray track pants.)

Until, getting up, Sora flicked Roxas' temple and started off in the direction of the stairs.

"You should."

---

What better way to start the day than to march up to your resident It-Kid-turned-crush and tell him that yes, said It-Kid really was just being a drama queen last week?

Better yet, why not fuck up the whole thing and confess undying love from the PA system and hope Axel really was kidding about mail-order machine guns.

And yeah, he'd rather be seen an unfeeling jerk than admit he had a crush on his best friend's wife-to-be. (The bizarre mental image of Riku in a wedding dress wasn't too bad- he was pretty sure Axel would insist on garters with fishnets as part of the ensemble, too.)

What use was it to even try? It didn't seem like Riku was the forgiving type, outside of his two best friends. Sora had pretty much confirmed that.

Roxas ran through the scenarios in his head, none of them good.

Which was why hours later, he had shelved the idea at the back of his head next to tied upside down and fed to rabid hamsters and was wandering around campus with the rest of the gang (sans Pence, poor guy still had class) during an unexpected free period.

"What's all that cheering over by the soccer field? Is there a game today?"

"I think I heard there was an interschool practice match… Roxas, did Sora say anything?" Despite lack of practice, Sora still got snapped up by the soccer team whenever they had casual games.

"Not really…"

"Let's check it out!"

"Hayner, wait for us! Jeeze!"

Roxas smiled a little at Olette's peeved expression as they followed Hayner at a more leisurely pace around the corner to the field to see and maybe take a seat and watch from the top of the stands.

There was a game, it turned out. And there were kids from another school playing against them. He could see Sora's spiky-haired red-geared figure easily as he bounced the ball off his head. The black and white dot arced across half the field, landing on the grass where two or three players simultaneously ran for it.

Someone from the other team in black intercepted the ball, gaining control of it and passing it along to a teammate with a smoothly executed side kick. It got passed along for a while before one of his friends spoke up again.

"Did they say where the other team's from?"

"Nuh-uh, and I can't see the scoreboard from here."

"Hey, isn't that Sora running for-"

"That other guy's going for it, too!"

"Ah, someone else is joining in-he got in the way!"

A piercing whistle shrieked through the field, and the referee called a time out. There was a many-voiced collective groan from the opposite side of the pitch. Roxas winced. Sora, a guy from the red team, and a guy from the black team had all collided in pursuit of the ball- mostly because the guy from the black team cut in at a dangerous angle… Sora was fine, but the other guy from his team looked like he'd sprained an ankle. There were people all around him, getting him off the pitch.

"Damn, now they'll have to look for another replacement, and most of the soccer team this season is still too green to put up much of a fight," Hayner huffed. Most of the soccer team's star players and regulars had graduated last year.

Olette nodded. "Wonder who they'll switch in?"

The coach didn't look like he could decide either. He was pacing, gesticulating wildly. The other team must be a big rival school, if it got him this worked up. Roxas frowned and hesitantly started down the stairs. "Maybe I can help out," he said over his shoulder, briskly and impulsively covering the rest of the stairs down. Sure, he hadn't actually played soccer with Sora in a while, but he might be a bit better than freshmen who didn't know much about the game. He could at least assist Sora better than the others could.

He skipped the last two steps and landed readily on the field, looking around for the coach.

"…Get out there." Roxas swiveled around. And stopped breathing.

Riku was coming straight at him, a rumpled red jersey hastily put on over his black sleeveless turtleneck and his hair twisted back. He was still wearing pants, though, (somehow the idea of Riku in shorts just wouldn't present itself.) And his expression was so impassive it was sharp on his face. Or maybe it was just that his eyes quickly filled with an icy and barely restrained anger.

Freezing up, Roxas wondered if he was about to be hit or murdered and the field was about to have a taste of Roxas-style fertilizer. Killed by the hands of your one true love. Yeah, that was going to go over well.

But Riku passed him without so much as bumping shoulders, swift and furious though his strides were. The rebuff felt all the sharper, cutting painfully deep, a hot knife on open skin.

Staring after him helplessly, Roxas thought, _looks like they didn't need any help._ The way Riku looked, he'd probably stain the field red.

The older teen must have been watching the game from the benches- Sora had probably dragged him over for that purpose.

Sora grinned and waved at Riku cheerfully, rubbing at the recently-gotten bruise on his side. "Hey, Riku, whatcha doing out here?" he teased.

Riku smiled back, nodding at him, the taut line of his shoulders dissipating like fog on a sunny day. "Saving your skinny ass, what else?"

"Aren't you just here to slow me down?"

"We could do without your deadweight."

"I hate to interrupt…" someone drawled, "but we do have a game to play, here." It was one of the black team players, the one who had taken Sora's header ball.

He was a tall, lanky boy, likely a senior, tousled black hair falling into his eyes and sharp, narrow amber eyes half-lidded. There was a mole under his right eye and, disquietingly, a row of tiny crosses painted (Roxas hoped it was paint) onto his temples, peeking out from under the hair. The type on the back of his shirt read Tyki and his voice held the faint carefully-cultured tones of someone born to aristocracy- or, at least, money.

At least, until he gave a wide smile, showing off white teeth against caramel skin, and said "So we can all get back to creaming your asses." No trace of the earlier cultured reserve there.

Riku's eyes narrowed. "Just try."

"With pleasure," Tyki said sardonically. Another whistle from the referee signaled that game play was about to resume.

At about the same time, Roxas realized he was standing stupidly on the outskirts of the field staring at boys in shorts panting on the grass.

Flushing slightly, he made his way back up the stands, flopping down next to where Hayner and Olette were still camped.

"What was that about?"

"Nothing. I was going to volunteer to play."

"Tough, looks like they got all-star Riku instead."

"Yeah…"

"Are you alright, Roxas? You were looking a little sun-stroked out on the field."

"Fine."

The indirect kick failed and the players were already running to get the ball. Sora was laughing and yelling, pretty much having a good time despite the competition. Tyki was running from the opposite direction, only just missing the ball when Sora swiped it from under his feet and lobbed it over people's heads. Smoothly, like a plan rolled out on the table, it landed onto the grass, not two feet away from where Riku was.

Roxas had never really thought about how _alive_ Riku was when he played. There was no question of it, now. He ran and kicked and passed with all his being, uncompromising and unrelenting. He stopped only to check the lay of the opposition, and that rarely, eyes bright with adrenaline and cheeks warmed by thrumming blood. It only became more apparent when Tyki started to mark him, goading him with smirks or choice words.

"Show off," Hayner grumbled, when Tyki executed a perfect chip shot. The goalie was a little too short to cover the entire goal area and missed the ball.

"Sora and Riku don't look too happy," Olette observed. The score had been even, but now the black team had an advantage.

Someone called time out. Roxas groaned inwardly. Riku had hiked the bottom of his shirt up, using it to wipe the sweat from his face, showing off the slim waist and taut stomach. One of the younger bench warmers was passing out bottles of water, and several of the players were either drinking or-. Fuck. Riku had twisted the cap off and poured a quarter of the water over his head, mouth open and still breathless. The water ran down his throat, soaking his shirt into a deeper red. _It could've been_ _**white**_, Roxas thought, with a small sound he hoped none of the others heard, relief and disappointment warring in his chest.

His eyes followed every movement with an almost hungry focus, something that was also making itself known down south. Uncomfortably shifting, Roxas made a monumental effort to distract himself, searching for Sora in the line up. He wanted to hit his head against a wall and wake up somewhere he never fell in love with annoying, gorgeous silver haired boys who were far too like him and not.

"Roxas? Did you skip a potty break or something?"

"Don't be an idiot, Hayner. It's sun stroke-look at how his face…"

"No," Roxas said too quickly. On second thought, getting away from Hayner and Olette's confused looks was starting to look really good about now. "Uh, well, maybe? I'll… just be going." There were restrooms behind the stands, alongside the outdoor water faucets. With any luck, he could cool off there.

Twisting the stripped-bare faucet prompted a small, rusty creak, but the water was clear, and, more importantly, _cold_. Roxas cupped his hands together underneath it, splashing his face until he felt the flush go down- and his problem with it. He had come within inches of embarrassing himself in one of the worst ways possible with his friends.

"Crap," Roxas muttered to himself, leaning back on the sink ledge, one hand pushing back wet blonde bangs. Water was running down his throat, too. Not that he could kid himself it had anywhere near the same effect as it had on Riku.

Roxas' heart leapt into his throat suddenly as he realized the vision of Riku in front of him wasn't some sort of vivid afterimage of his libido. "Ah…"

Ignoring him with studied calm, Riku was washing his hands, sticking his entire head under the faucet to let the water run over it. His breathing was still a little faster than normal, not quite labored or relaxed. He hadn't removed his shirt.

Right. Here was his chance. Mouth dry, Roxas started, "…A-about last week-"

"Save it." Silver hair fell into Riku's eyes, sopping wet. "I don't know what you were playing at. I don't care what you think."

Riku took a breath. "I don't want to see you or hear you or ever remember you _existed_." Each word was bitten off, like acid falling off his tongue.

He shook his head irritably. "I- just- Go. Fucking. _Away_."

Without turning to look at him, Riku strode off.

Roxas never did find out who won that soccer game. He didn't have the energy to bat off Olette's worried looks, past caring at the dawn of comprehension that lit up her green eyes. Hayner put it down to a bad stomach ache and advised Roxas to throw up over the side if Seifer's gang passed by.

---

Seven rings and Roxas wondered if he was up to answering. He lay on his bed, the blanket curled around him. Finally, he sighed and flipped it open on the next vibrating ring in the melody, loosely cradling his mobile to his ear.

"Heeey, Roxas. You wouldn't happen to know anything about why Riku's pissed off, would ya?" Axel's tone was distinctly unimpressed.

_Might be the little thing about how __**he hates me**__, _Roxas thought a little hysterically.

"Rox? You've gotta stop breathing into the receiver if you wanna play dead."

"…Maybe he lost today's game."

"Game?"

"Yeah. Soccer."

"Did he look hot?" _Yes. All kinds._ And that was really part of the problem now, wasn't it?

Roxas sighed, suddenly feeling more exhausted than ever. "Look, I- I can't really talk right now. I don't know why he'd be pissed off at _you_," Roxas said with a bit more emphasis on the last word than was careful.

"You can just- kiss him senseless or whatever," Roxas continued, feeling his breath catch a little, and hoping the jealousy would not choke up his throat before he could finish pushing the words out.

A pause on the line. He could practically hear the scheming little satisfied grin. "…Yeah, there is that. I'm inviting myself over tonight, anyway."

"Great. Terrific. Bye." Roxas clicked off without waiting for a response.

---

On Wednesday, Roxas found himself doing his homework in a little nook in the library, half-obscured by the tall dark bookshelves with their hushed breath lingering between aisles. If it were any other day, he might have gone outside, propping his book up on his knees in lieu of a table.

Some part of him wondered if he had really gotten so desperate to avoid even a glimpse of Riku at his usual haunts.

It seemed his teacher was barely hitting her stride with poetry and in addition to reading ten fresh new poems, they were supposed to interpret one of their choosing. He predictably chose the shortest. It was the logical thing to do when one wasn't sure if he could read anything longer than half a page without wondering if Riku did poetry or just stuck to being the subject thereof. And that, like many things, simply reminded him of yesterday's confrontation and worse, last night's conversation.

A gloom settled over him as his eyes slowly drifted over the blue-bordered page, tiredly sifting through the words and hoping that if he stared at it long enough, something would take.

_What have you got in your knapsack fair,  
White moon, bright moon, pearling the air,  
Spinning your bobbins and fabrics free,  
Fleet moon, sweet moon, in to the sea?  
_

_Turquoise and beryl and rings of gold,  
Clear moon, dear moon, ne'er to be sold?  
Roses and lilies, romance and love,  
Still moon, chill moon, swinging above?  
_

It was just his luck that it was another romantic poem. Roxas briefly considered going for a war poem. But the only thing on the topic was ten pages long. Right. Bite the bullshit it was, then. Roxas frowned and tried to remember the elements of poetry their teacher had been going on about before class ended.

He was leafing through his notebook to jog his memory (not a lot of help there- he'd have to borrow Olette's notes) when the library door swung open with a small, metallic groan and the rasp of old wood on linoleum. A little annoying, but people were always going in and out of the library. You just had to suck it up and hope somebody else wrote a letter of complaint to get it greased or replaced.

He figured out something about form and types of poems, imagery, and tone after a few minutes of muddling out his notes. There were, he reflected, way too many kinds of poems. Couldn't they at least have come up with more direct names? The villanelle just reminded him of dessert. He sighed at the paper. There were words missing, and some were easily illegible smudges of ink. Not his best work by any stretch.

He held the poem up again, hoping the change of space would somehow make it clarify itself. The dead white library light filtered through, backlighting the black ink. He sighed and lowered it a little to the optimum staring position.

Footsteps and the thump of a fallen book interrupted his study. Like any bored, particularly reluctant student, Roxas looked. And felt his pen slip halfway out of his hand.

At a little above eye level, someone had taken books out of the shelves in roughly the same places, leaving a small gap where you could see right through the shelf into the next aisle.

Dark mahogany, he noticed absurdly, really worked wonders for Riku's strikingly pale complexion. Dark on pale on pale. His brow was slightly furrowed as he took a book out from the shelves, examined the title page, then flipped it closed and returned it to its place.

Roxas stared unashamedly through the small opening in straight lines of books, watching Riku intently search for a book, the moon poem still up in the air in front of him, juxtaposed. And was struck by how very alike the two were.

Riku's lips were pulled into a neutral grimness, eyes half lidded with the warmth of the day even as traces of melancholy touched the slight knot between his brows. Riku brushed his hair back impatiently, baring the graceful line of his neck and Roxas found himself smiling a little at the way the strands fell back, tangled and a little lopsided. His hands itched with the impulse of straightening it, reaching over to...

Except Riku would never stand for it. Riku hated him. And he'd probably kill him for thinking anything like it in his immediate vicinity. If Axel didn't do it first.

The bell rang and Roxas, taking care not to jostle the knife twisting in his chest, scrambled to pack everything back into his bag and slip away as unobtrusively as he could. Art class was up next.

It was the first time he could remember that he came to class with something already in mind. He supposed he owed it to the melancholic mood the library had left him with. Freestyle art time usually meant Roxas would stare dully around the classroom and eventually pick a random still life to attempt copying. He'd gotten quite the pile of artwork. Sora thought he was doing a portrait collection of obese mushrooms.

With a little flick of his sketchbook, Roxas turned to a fresh, smooth page and started working. He really didn't know what he wanted to do, only that there was an image in his mind. Besides, it couldn't be that hard to draw a couple of circles, right? He'd barely started working when he realized this was going to be a lot harder than he had originally planned.

Half of his lines didn't look like they knew what they were doing, much less what the artist was. When he looked up to search irritably for his eraser, Namine was looking at him intently.

"You're really into it, today." She had stating the obvious down to art form. She also was likely plotting some sort of evil world-overtaking plan behind her smile. Roxas treated her with a lot more wariness after the Drawing-That-Shall-Not-Be-Discussed. Kairi had asked why Roxas had kept twitching for days.

"Mm," Roxas murmured, noncommittal. He located his eraser behind an elbow and started erasing half the lines he'd just drawn.

He could practically feel Namine's eyebrows go up, but stubbornly kept his head down. The arc wasn't right. And there had to be a better way to get it dark enough…

The time passed almost too quickly while Roxas chose and discarded media (watercolors, oil pastels, stained eggshells) from the long bench at the side of the room, erased and redrew lines, and became extremely absorbed in his artwork. The bell rang just as he was hurriedly putting on the finishing touches.

When he figured it was as good as it was ever going to get, he sat back with a sigh, feeling oddly lighter from the simple, single-minded focus of completing art than he had in a long while.

Namine and Kairi stepped up on either side of him, taking a peek.

Roxas stilled the urge to cover his work and let them. On the surface of the slightly crumpled paper (from hard erasures), was a black-washed scene with dark shapes that might suggest rocks- or even a beach. There was an expanse of midnight blue that could be a sea, flecked with correction fluid to suggest foam and waves, and dominating most of the picture was a barely shaded in moon.

The lines were wobbly at best, and the correction fluid flecks were all over the place (including himself) while not entirely suggesting the whole waves thing unless you squinted and turned your head 60 degrees north. There were a lot of flaws. He couldn't even draw a circle exactly right, careful though he'd been. But looking at it, he decided that this had to be the reason people like Namine were willing to devote themselves to making images in their head come to life.

And in a weird way, he decided, the imperfections became it. The hard-won edges added a touch of rakish reality, a reminder of earthliness in an unearthly scene of moon and dark water.

Just like the person who'd inspired it.

"I knew you could apply yourself," Namine commented. Roxas turned his eyes up to the ceiling. Namine and Olette shared a strange camaraderie based on reproaching people (usually the boys) on lack of effort. They probably had an organization with white robes and official-looking badges. He hoped they weren't planning world domination.

"I like it," Kairi said, reaching out to touch the drawing gently with her fingertips. "Kinda reminds me of something. Or someone." She frowned, apparently trying to remember what exactly it was.

"Yeah," Roxas admitted, "me too."

Feeling a little up to some teasing, he gave her artwork a sidelong look, unsurprised to find something a lot like the matching pair of Sora's birthday keychain on the paper in 2D. "Looks like you had something different on your mind, though."

Kairi pushed him, blushing.

He would have to mention it to Sora, later, just to see if he turned the same shade of red.

He didn't get to until much later than he expected, though. Sora had gone out that night and come home an hour later than usual with a ravenous appetite.

---

For a whole night, he thought he might be able to get through the week, silently blessing art class and his new devotion to Art Therapy. It was nice while it lasted.

He had woken up feeling generally as miserable as he'd been the other night, without a clue as to how it happened besides the sudden crash of memories and an unsettling dream he had to take care of in the shower.

It didn't get any better from there.

Roxas stared at the pop quiz results. He had barely gotten two questions right out of ten on Civilization from the Yellow River: Ancient China. Expected, but he still winced. So much for regaining his concentration. The teacher had circled the score with a violet pen, drawing an arrow down to a frowning smiley with the words '_What happened_??' Their History teacher was the involved sort.

Olette had handed out the papers, looking at him worriedly- History was usually an easy subject, and a lot of people didn't take it seriously, but Roxas had never flunked an easy quiz before. Then again, he'd never had other things on his mind, before.

Seeing Olette glance at him again, Roxas shook his head and shrugged. It wasn't altogether hard to make up for the points. But the sinking feeling in his belly told him that there was a chance he wouldn't even be able to do that, if things kept on like this.

"I'm fine, I'll make it up some other time," Roxas said loudly. The class was just waiting for the next bell, anyway, other loud conversations drowning out most of the bite from his voice.

Taking the hint, Olette nodded.

Roxas sighed and tried to read the book. Instead, he found himself drifting and listening to the murmurs of conversation

"…kendo room and it was _huge_…"

"How was I supposed to know he was going to ride it?"

"…And then she bit his ass and it tore off…"

"…New nail polish and one of those magazines, you know, the one with the sealed bits that…"

"_NO_,"

"_YES_, and a _thong_!"

"Riku's absent?"

Roxas looked up.

"Yeah, I heard from my friend's boyfriend, he's missing out on a big game today…"

"No way! What will the team do?"

"Well…"

Blood running cold, Roxas strained to hear more, but the girls had dropped their voices to a hush, lost in the din.

Panicked, Roxas turned to Olette. "Did you hear anything about-" he hesitated as his friend turned to him curiously, flicking a braid over her shoulder. "About Riku not going to school today?" he finished.

"Everyone's been talking about it- there's a game today. Nobody knows what happened to him, though. I thought maybe Sora would tell you, though, if anybody knows…" She trailed off, tapping her desk idly as she thought.

"Nobody knows?" Roxas echoed, the beginnings of a dark suspicion settling in his mind. "Isn't it just the flu, or something?"

"There's that," Olette admitted. "Most people think it's something else, though. Riku wasn't the type to skip a game just because he was feeling a little under the weather."

Roxas bit his lip and thought.

Asking Sora turned up with little more information than he started out with.

"Riku didn't say anything at all to you?"

"No, he didn't. It's weird for me and Kairi, too. He usually told us, at least." Sora tugged at his hair. "But he never wants to talk about some stuff with us."

The suspicion was setting up house and installing little water features, right about now.

And he was liking it less and less the more he thought about it.

He was still thinking when he was on the way home.

And for a reason he couldn't name, he found himself standing in front of the white gate of a green house, staring up at the silver number plate with a plastic bag in his right hand. Faintly, he figured Sora was right. You _couldn't_ miss 14 Beach Drive. Mostly because it seemed to be the only house all the way at the end of the road, a cul-de-sac. Palm trees surrounded most of the perimeter, but he could still easily see the overgrown yard and the house beyond it. There was broken glass in front of one of the windows.

Frantic barking alerted him to a spot of shadow he'd thought was a bush. It was Setzer, tied up with thin, coarse rope to a palm tree and whining.

So Riku's father _was_ home, then.

"Shh," Roxas murmured to the big dog. He couldn't easily reach Setzer from the gate, but it was plain that he'd been scratching himself, trying to get the rope off.

Setting the plastic down right beside the mail slot, Roxas decided he'd try anyway. The fence was a simple series of thin metal bars, each one ending in a pointed tip. If he reached through the bars and called Setzer to him, over where the distance was shortest, he just might be able to slip it over his head.

Kneeling, he threaded his arms through the bars, thankful, for once, that he was so skinny. He clucked his tongue gently, gesturing Setzer towards him. "Come here, Setzer."

Obedient, Setzer whined a bit and headed towards him. The rope was tied too tightly to slide over his head, Roxas realized. He fumbled at his belt for a set of keys, finding them in his left pocket. "Hold still, okay?" he whispered soothingly, sliding the keys under the rope and sawing up with the patterned edge of the keys up. After a couple of minutes, he broke through the last strand. Setzer yipped happily, practically dizzy with the joy of release and making so much noise that someone stirred from inside the house.

"That _dog_!"

"You're not doing anything to him!"

Another voice, softer. Or was it two voices?

And then, the sound of the door opening. Roxas got up hastily, heading for the gate to scoop up his plastic bag. Setzer followed, gamboling after him on the other side of the gate like it was a game.

But there was just no time, he realized, and really it was a little late to be having doubts. Veering from his course, Roxas ducked behind a palm tree and leaned against it, his blood humming in his ears, heart pounding.

"What-? Setzer, how'd you…?" The gate creaked open and there was a rustle of plastic.

It seemed a long silence before Roxas heard the door close again and he stepped out into the early moonlight, breathing a little sigh.

He headed for home with brisk steps, a little saner in the grim knowledge of what had happened to Riku and quiet reassurance that he had at least received the Paopu flavored ice cream Roxas had gotten for him.

---

Friday dawned and Riku had come back to school, looking a little paler, or so the rumor mill went.

Roxas didn't see him. He studiously avoided anywhere Riku was likely to be at, not entirely sure what he was afraid of. Being found out? The hatred in his eyes? Confessing and pouncing his ass in the hallway?

"And my dad and I will pick all of you up tomorrow night by the second lamp post, okay?" Olette asked the assembled gang just before they all separated to go home. "Be on time, for once- I mean _you_, Hayner!"

"Why is it always me?" the boy protested.

"Why are you always late?"

"It's just a beach party, 'lette, don't get twisted up about it!"

"Pence, Roxas, you guys, too, okay?" For a moment, Roxas felt like Olette rested her eyes a little longer than usual on him. But the moment passed.

"Well, that's it, then. See you guys there!"

"She's too cheerful about this," Hayner groused.

"Maybe she has a date?"

"Bite your tongue!" Hayner said, appalled.

"Why?" Pence asked, genuinely confused.

"Well- Well, this is Olette, she's like our mother! I don't want to think about her going on dates. It'd be like, I don't know, finding Roxas making out in the hallway with that mystery girl of his." Roxas decided not to comment on the small blush across Hayner's nose. Roxas and Olette had kept their almost-a-week sorta-together period a secret from the gang (and most people), much to both of their relief after the fact.

Bringing up his 'mystery girl' didn't help Roxas' mindset any, though.

Something about it must have shown in his face, because his mother took one look at him as soon as he got home and said, "we're going to have a Talk. Now."

Mind frantic, Roxas panned for an excuse. "We already had that. With slides. And movie clips."

"Don't you want the latest updates?" his mother asked, brightening.

"_No_." One DVD marathon from his mother's collection and Roxas was pretty sure he was more than set for life.

"Great, because that's not what I'm going to talk to you about." She took off her apron, dusting her hands off on it. "Come on, let's go pick out something for you to wear tomorrow night while we're at it."

Roxas shrugged. "It's a T-shirt and jeans, not rocket science."

He reluctantly followed her, anyway. It was best to just follow orders when his mother was like this.

He sat down on his bed while his mother started taking things out of his wardrobe. "Really, some of your pants have _holes _in them, Roxas!" she tsked, "and you don't _wear_ them!"

Somewhere, in some household, he was pretty sure his mother might have been sane. He suspected it'd be a visual kei rock group like the ones Axel had pointed out to him, once.

She dumped the entire contents of his wardrobe on his bed and sat down next to him.

"Now then, tell me what's going on between you and Riku."

"N-nothing." Which was painfully true.

"I'm your mother, Roxas, so I'll help you along," Reiko said sweetly. "You're madly in love with him but won't say anything- why?"

"Axel's dating him. Besides, he hates me."

With the impatient certainty of a mother who thought her children were the world, his mother brushed the first statement aside. "And how do you know Riku hates you?"

"He just _does_." Roxas wondered if it was possible to get any more uncomfortable. Then again, it _was_ his mother.

"Tell me how that happened, then, and I want everything he says verbatim," she added sternly.

Haltingly, Roxas gave her a rough outline of events leading up to the faucet-fiasco, as he'd taken to calling it. She prompted him for Riku's exact words, but remained silent for most of it, apparently deep in thought.

"Is it getting any clearer, now?" Roxas sighed.

Roxas had only ever seen his mom truly pissed off on a handful of occasions: when she fought with dad, when the manager told her that no, they didn't have her DVDs in stock despite pre-ordering them months ago, and when he and Sora almost drowned each other at the beach. 'Right now' was rapidly adding itself to that short list.

"You're my darling baby boy, Roxas," she began, "but you're an idiot."

She didn't elaborate. Instead, she picked up a shirt from the pile and smiled radiantly. "What do you think of wearing this one?" It was something black and slinky and had silver sequins running down the back in a cross. The front was cut out. This was one of his mother's souvenirs.

Roxas shook his head, still a little off-center from the piercing glare he'd received just before. His mother continued sifting through the clothes, remarking on one or the other and making small talk.

"You wouldn't remember, but Riku was always asking after you and Sora, when you were little." She paused and smiled a little fondly. "He was such a cute child, too, tugging at my apron and asking what had happened to the little angel-boy."

Still trying on the last shirt his mother had tossed to him, Roxas blinked and waited for more.

"I figured you'd just drifted, as children do, especially since you got sick." She wrinkled her nose at one of Roxas' plain white shirts. "You got past the sensitive stage for the sickness around ten, you know. The doctors finally cured your heart condition."

"Children grow up. Sora and Riku and Kairi all stuck together like leaves on the same stem. You met your own friends- Axel, too. And I forgot all about it."

Roxas snorted and his mother leveled a glare at him, pointedly demanding he stay silent until she finished, before going on with her story.

"Riku helped me sort out the groceries, once, the last time he was here. The boy practically knows where everything in this house is. And I started telling him stories about you and Sora. He was pretty interested."

She smiled and winked, "Just so you know, if Sora starts to go around pouting, Riku probably told him what I told him."

"But he asked about you more than he ever did Sora. Think about it, Roxas."

His mother cleared her throat. "I think you should go with these," she exclaimed, dropping a small bundle of clothes onto Roxas' lap. "I really wish you and Sora would wear my presents more, but boys will be boys, I suppose."

Sliding his hand pensively against the silky scrap of fabric his mother had picked out for his shirt, Roxas let out a long breath. Maybe his mother was right, but that had been before he'd fucked things up with Riku so much.

---

The beach party was starting to go into full swing when the gang got there. A long stretch of the beach had been lit with scattered bonfires, blankets and colored paper lamps strung out in between them. People were milling around, talking, drinking, eating, laughing and dancing. Some of the couples had taken advantage of the darker nooks, settling on blankets and making out until they were reduced to writhing shadows on the outer edges of the party. The opening band was playing on a makeshift stage, a crowd of hooting teenagers around them.

Pence immediately went for the buffet - someone must've dragged the long tables to the beach from the surrounding villas and Hayner joined him there, reaching for a beer. Olette was caught up by a group of girls in grass skirts, the entire group giggling like a hive of bees. Two of them threw a few speculative glances over Roxas' way.

Standing uncertainly to the side, Roxas fidgeted with the hem of the black hooded sweater he'd picked out- a plain affair with a silver chain dangling from zip to pocket that echoed his mood. Reiko had remarked it highlighted Roxas' fair skin and blonde hair, before trying to put eyeliner on to 'emphasize his big blue eyes'. He'd hastily kicked the pants his mother had picked out under the bed and tugged on charcoal gray pants and boots, all clean lines and subtle silver trappings. He tossed on the usual assortment of black and white rubber sports bracelets and rings and presto, one Roxas, ready to melt into the shadows at the hottest beach party of the year.

The girl was looking again. And this time her eyes were distinctly below the belt. Feeling an eerie and unwelcome sense of déjà vu, Roxas set off vaguely in the direction of the nearest bonfire He wandered around, giving Demyx a wave when the older boy flashed a thumbs up at him between strumming sitar chords. They weren't bad, actually, and the sound had definitely improved since the last time he and Axel had dropped by their garage.

Sora, who had left earlier to pick up Kairi, was dancing with her, in the middle of the crowd, laughing and a little flushed. They had matching bracelets, a thin woven braid about each wrist, Roxas noted, wondering if it was a Sora-Kairi thing or a Sora-Kairi-Riku thing.

"Roxaaas," Axel drawled, draping an arm over Roxas' shoulder. "And here I thought you were going to wuss out on the party."

The university student had a beer bottle in one hand and… a surprisingly decent outfit on. No leather- probably because sand got into the worst places- just tight jeans with frayed hems, obscenities finger painted up the legs. Then he took a closer look at Axel's 'shirt' and learned that the only thing covering Axel's chest was glow-in-the-dark _bodypaint_ and cross-shaped nipple studs.

"What do you have _on_?" he asked, before he could prevent himself.

"It's edible," Axel said helpfully.

"For…for Riku?" Roxas asked faintly, trying his very best to not imagine Riku's tongue darting out, warm and wet, and failing utterly.

"Pretty good, Sherlock," the redhead replied amiably, mouth twisting to a side briefly before taking a sip from his bottle. "You haven't seen him around, have you?"

"No. I just _got_ here. I…thought you'd come with him."

"Came with the rest of the boys," Axel said with a nod towards the band. "Demyx was holed up in the dorm showers, having a pre-show nervous breakdown and giggling about 'dance, water, dance'."

"He looks fine now…"Roxas said carefully, extricating himself from under Axel's arm.

"Yeah. After filling a bathtub with rum, the rest of the band in towels, and some really creative flash cards- do you _know_ what you can do with those? And eyeliner."

"Eyeliner?"

"Well you can't expect them to practice _naked_."

Suddenly, Roxas wondered if Demyx had been wearing a shirt and pants under his Sitar or was operating the Axel way. He wouldn't. Would he?

"I should get Riku to put some on, too- guy looks hot in practically everything, anyway. You should see him when he's- you've stopped breathing, Rox."

"You're just drunk," Roxas said flatly. Mentally, he reminded himself that suffocating himself to death wasn't going to solve the roiling hollowness that was curling through his body.

Axel nodded slowly. " Second bottle." He sloshed the half-full glass. "Anyway, _you_ should definitely get your first and loosen up."

"Oh, and drop this into Riku's drink, would you?" Axel held out a small ziplock packet half-filled with flat round tablets in varying candy colors and sizes.

"What is it?" Roxas asked warily.

Axel grinned, the roaring bonfire reflected on his eyes. "E."

Roxas was a pretty decent kid. He'd only smoked once (his lungs had kicked him for the attempt), had one or two beers with Axel every now and then, and never did drugs. The blank, stupid giddiness he'd seen on some of the college students was enough to make him queasy. They were living in an imaginary world, and nobody could stay in it. They all had to wake up some time. And now he was going to give Riku, clean cut athletic type _Riku_ fucking _drugs_?

He stared at Axel, blankly.

Then he took a breath, feeling his heart tighten into a hard little knot.

"No."

Coolly tilting his head, Axel regarded him. "What do you mean 'No'?"

"'No' means I've had _enough_. I'm not doing any of your dirty work for you, anymore. I can't. It's- Fuck. Do you have any _idea_ what I've been through these past few weeks?" Roxas shoved a hand through his hair, fingers catching. Just thinking about the past couple of weeks made him speechless.

"You didn't sound like you were having any issues with it," Axel folded his arms, tone a little too light.

Issues? He had whole effing _subscriptions_.

"I didn't say anything because I thought you were fucking serious about Riku!"

"So what changed?" Axel asked with a raised eyebrow.

Roxas ignored him, plowing on, heady with the rush of freedom and the thought that holy shit he really was going to do this, sign his deathwish on the dotted line and con-fucking-fess.

"I wasn't about to throw confetti in the air and tell you _I fell in love_ with him!"

Axel's entire body language seemed to tense, and there was a hard set to his jaw as he tilted his head sideways at Roxas. "You _fell in love with him_? You, Roxas, Ice Prince? Same guy who couldn't stand the thought of a couple of days talking to him?" He asked, one of his hands curled into a tight fist.

"_You_ fell in love with _Riku_?" Axel's voice dropped dangerously low.

"Yeah," Roxas breathed, hands clenched into fists and stance wary, an eye to Axel's torso to predict any attack. He tilted his head up, meeting his best friend's brilliant green eyes.

"How many damn times do you want me to say it?"

"Enough to make sure." Axel swung.

------------

**Author's Rambles:**

The poem is: **The New Moon **by Zora Bernice May Cross (1890 - 1964 / Australia)

Source is : http : // www . poemhunter. com / poem / the-new-moon /

You'll be seeing more of this poem unless my plans change again.

Issues subscriptions inspired by "Issues" a Hikaru no Go fanfic by **Mirabella**. She's a great author. If you're in the fandom, read it! It's definitely one of the best works out there and fantastically in-character funny to boot.

deeponymacy- diplomacy, in case someone missed it. Her parents /are/ diplomats/ambassadors, after all.

And, yes, _that_ Beckham-inspired (canon!) **Tyki Mikk**, Noah of Pleasure (yes, that's why I worded it that way), Master of Schizo, Lord of Teeze (…someone HAS to write puns about it and you know it) and Debonair Fantasy that reminds me of male!Blaise Zabini characterizations. Blame Zebbie for suggesting that, really. He's the first non-squeenix character I've included here I think. For the rest of you, he's from D. Gray-Man, and is made of several kinds of evil win.

Note to self: stop writing sports like I know them. Who knew the research was so hard?

You might have noticed that I changed the title. This is because I realized that the plan I had tucked away grew rabid plotbunny children. Anyway, LONG chapter is long.

It's **OVER 11,000 WORDS**. And 30 pages. A little treat for any of you who've been waiting for this chapter. :D It did take a long time, what with the school and bodily injury.

It's a little rushed, I admit, but if I keep it for any longer I'm not sure if I'll finish within the year like I targeted. ;P I may make small changes, added sentences, by and by, since I'm planning on a slight overhaul for the whole fic after it's done. Oh and half of this is unbetaed, so if you see anything either ignore it or tell me asap.

By the way if you noticed innuendo and dubious word choice, it's intentional 90% of the time.

You know, I sometimes wondered why authors never bothered to detail lessons when I was a lurker. Now that I've actually tried writing one, I know. It's because unless I'm writing in a Harry Potter universe, there just isn't any point. It's useless filler, it isn't quite as cute or entertaining, and it's bloody hard enough to deal with real school regularly.

**(:::::The Next Chapter: Fools:::::)**

Final chapter before a short Epilogue.

**1 out of every 100 readers review. **

**Are you one of us?**

/deep voice

**Beta's Notes (from the pc and dubious spray guard of the Dirty Diz Disciple):**

PS. If you don't review, the ever-fabulous Nikki, better known as the Tyki-inspiring Zebbie,

will make good of that sign on your back and dick you in ways you never thought possible

for a person with a human spine. Believe it~

Also, Kuja's thong should be Terra's national flag, Y/Y~? ^3^


	9. Fools

**Nobody's Fool**

_Fantacination _

**Trick IX**

**Fools**

_Lord, what fools these mortals be. _

–_William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night's Dream_

---------------------------

"_I didn't say anything because I thought you were fucking serious about Riku!"_

"_So what changed?" Axel asked with a raised eyebrow._

_Roxas ignored him, plowing on, heady with the rush of freedom and the thought that holy shit he really was going to do this, sign his deathwish on the dotted line and con-fucking-fess._

"_I wasn't about to throw confetti in the air and tell you I fell in love with him!"_

_Axel's entire body language seemed to tense, and there was a hard set to his jaw as he tilted his head sideways at Roxas. "You fell in love with him? You, Roxas, Ice Prince? Same guy who couldn't stand the thought of a couple of days talking to him?" He asked, one of his hands curled into a tight fist._

"_You fell in love with Riku?" Axel's voice dropped dangerously low._

"_Yeah," Roxas breathed, hands clenched into fists and stance wary, an eye to Axel's torso to predict any attack. He tilted his head up, meeting his best friend's brilliant green eyes._

"_How many damn times do you want me to say it?"_

"_Enough to make sure." Axel swung._

-------------

The punch connected solidly with Roxas' shoulder.

Roxas braced himself for the force behind Axel's fist, tensing his shoulder to protect the flesh and acutely aware of how skinny his shoulder actually was. Axel had more practical fighting experience. It wouldn't surprise him if he did break his arm like the twig it was.

Except, he didn't.

In fact, the punch felt barely bruising. Solid enough to be there without actually intending to hurt… Roxas looked up, feeling his confusion mount to alarming levels at Axel's ear-to-ear grin, his teeth catching a faint glimmer of firelight.

Swinging a companionable arm around the smaller boy's shoulders, Axel let out a full, throaty laugh. "Congratulations, Roxas. Took you long enough."

"…_What_?" The fuck. Roxas gaped, his shoulder relaxing slightly in shock. He brought his guard back up. He knew Axel well enough to expect him to be just this side of not-quite-fair to use a sneak attack.

"You heard me, go get him," Axel rolled bright green eyes, "I've been working on this little plan too long to let you go braindead on me now."

"You _what?_" Roxas had a feeling he was being redundant. But that small thought was safely tucked away under the confused shock that had blanketed him, as complete and implacable as a glacier.

Some of Axel's words finally filtered through to Roxas' brain. "You_ planned this_?"

Feigning a bored look, Axel examined his nails- glossy and black. "Well, see, your twin and I had a little chat, way back when- his best friend was having a little problem, my best friend was being an ice princess. He said something a little interesting and I decided that it was worth a look-and-see, yanno~?"

Roxas felt his stomach drop. "You… you've been manipulating _me_?" Plotting and scheming and playing him like a fool. "All of that was just some fucked up interesting game to you?"

Suddenly he thought back to all the little things that hadn't added up- the things he'd ignored or put down as normal Axel caprice. Why Axel had always seemed a little late, a little too pushy, a little less than deeply involved despite passionate claims to the contrary. Why Axel, of all people, had even asked for _help_ with a _date_ in the first place!

"You were lying," Roxas whispered, a little disbelieving, "All of the things you said were just _lies_." His fists clenched tightly. _And I believed you._ _In you._

Axel's phone started to blare out a tune from a cheesy vintage strip club. "Now that's just unfair, Rocks-ass. Riku's a nice piece of work and I wasn't lying about wanting to find someone steady." He flipped the phone open and pressed a few buttons, smirking as the voicemail started to play and a very familiar deep voice, edged with an electronic static, started to rant. Something about not being a 'Manho' and returning something to the student council office.

Just hearing the student president's voice reminded him of the scent of roses that always clung to his form, if you got close enough, like an afterthought. (That the president worked in the college botanical garden's prized roses was common knowledge enough that nobody ever commented.)… Like Axel's scarf, that one time. And the last piece of the puzzle fell neatly into place.

"I just never explicitly said Riku and that were one and the same. You really need to get over that gullible streak," the redhead noted cheerfully.

"Maybe I just need to get a new best friend."

He couldn't believe this. Axel had the gall to treat this whole thing like a prank, like he'd borrowed something without asking or put something slimy in Roxas' bed. He'd been _manipulating_ him. He had played him for a fool, lied by omission, and had otherwise turned his life upside down, wreaking havoc on Roxas' rusty, disused feelings, just for an underhanded idea to get him… hell, Roxas didn't even know what Axel could possibly have gotten in exchange for this little matchmaking plan. Except the entertainment value. Axel had always felt 'fun' more than worth the effort.

Roxas didn't appreciate being tricked. He didn't appreciate that he'd been set up like a puppet or that everything he'd ever felt these past few weeks had been nothing more than the direct results of a master puppeteer.

"You really have no idea…you fucking _bastard_, I can't believe you'd do something like this! That you'd do it to _me_." Intense anger bubbled hotly under the surface of his skin, overturning all pretense of rationality

Roxas threw a punch at Axel's face.

The lean teen caught his wrist, eyes sharply wary. "Look, Rox-"

Undeterred, Roxas stepped in and aimed an enraged kick at Axel's side, connecting squarely. Axel bent, holding his ribs. Roxas landed another two swift jabs against Axel's shoulder, barely looking at him anymore. "We're best friends, you idiot, you fucking _moron_, what made you think you could just-?!"

"Hey, what's all this about?" A large university student, called out, breaking the crest of Roxas' rage.

Shoulders still trembling with fury, Roxas shoved Axel away violently. The redhead fell back, landing with a hand and knee on the sand. "You just never know when to _stop_, do you?"

Turning heel, Roxas stalked away, not stopping until he was sure he was far away to not run back and kill his former best friend.

---

It was Pence who eventually caught his attention, near the food tables.

"Hey! Hey, Roxas!"

Reluctantly, the blonde acknowledged the other boy with a nod. At least Hayner wasn't with him. He really wasn't up to facing Hayner or anyone volatile right now.

"Donut?" Pence was snacking on crescent-shaped fried dough with red icing and a chocolate center. He vaguely remembered Pence exclaiming rapturously over this particular new flavor a few weeks back- what had he called it again? Ah. Vincent. Pence had probably been eating Vincents since the party began.

"No," Roxas declined shortly, waving away the Vincent shoved into his face. Pence shrugged. His breath, Roxas realized, smelled a lot like cheap beer laced with punch. That was rare. Pence usually thought getting drunk wasn't worth throwing up. (Even if they weren't technically a little underaged.) He usually noticed when the punch had been spiked.

"You sure? It's really goo-od."

"I don't want any stupid donuts." Roxas looked around at the table, spying a bucket half full of ice melt and beer cans. The college students must have brought them. Perfect.

"How can you say that? Donuts are… are the last preserve of sin and carnal delight!"

Roxas snorted and reached for a can of beer, quickly opening it and downing the contents in one go before slamming the empty can back into the table. The alcohol burned a little, this much at once, and his eyes started to water reflexively as he gasped for breath. Stupid fucking Axel. This was his fault, too. Reckless, he reached for another can, popping the lid in record time and downing half of the amber liquid.

"Hey, are you okay? You don't drink…" Pence stared at him, Vincent cream still stuck to his fingers.

Roxas glared.

Relenting, Pence went back to watching the crowd around them while eating. Clearly, Pence thought if Roxas wanted to be moody, he could do it while getting drunk by himself.

There was a lot to watch. A lot of the dancers were wearing glowsticks, the multi-colored glow like frenzied fairy lights on the semi-dark beach. Glancing up, Roxas saw an overcast sky. The wind from the sea was brisk and cold. Rain was likely to fall, with conditions like that. _Stupid beach party organizers._ He sipped a little more slowly from his can. At least rain would give him an excuse to go home early.

_Not that I have anything to stay for. _

The music turned abruptly slow as Roxas was starting to feel the effects of the alcohol binge hit him, the lightheaded buzz filling his body. He couldn't see the band from here. He had no idea whether the Black Mages had come yet or if Demyx's band was still holding up. But several people stopped dancing, drifting over to the tables to get water to drink or just take a break.

He finished his can and reached for another, tossing the empty can in the general direction of a woven basket that served as a trash bin. It bounced back, landing somewhere on the sand near his feet.

Roxas looked up, annoyed.

Riku was leaning against the buffet table, right in the trajectory of Roxas' empty can. The hood of a long black denim vest was slung back from his hair. He had the usual loose pants and a white tank top on beneath it. From the way he looked, it didn't seem like he'd been dancing. He wasn't quite meeting Roxas' eyes.

Beside him and a few feet away, Sora and Kairi, (casual in a tank and jeans that matched Sora's shirt and cargo pants), were drinking from paper cups full of water from the huge water jug someone had brought.

"Roxas!" They both waved.

Mutely, Roxas stared at the three of them. Then, he nodded curtly towards his brother and Kairi before turning his head and ignoring the third member of the trio. That was what Riku wanted, wasn't it? He took a swig from his new can. The taste was even more bitter than he expected.

Seeing Riku drove a spike of ice straight into Roxas' gut. Riku reminded him of everything that had just happened- of the heart he'd sealed over with rage. Where did he stand, now? This mess that Axel had orchestrated. Did that mean what had happened... what he'd felt, wasn't real?

Shit. He couldn't do this. Roxas turned heel and started walking away.

Riku kept up.

"Roxas?" That was Sora, confused.

"About… a while ago," Riku began. His fists were shoved into the pockets of his pants.

Roxas flinched. It was the only sign that he'd acknowledged his presence at all.

"I… I heard, okay? When you and Axel were-"

Oh that was too fucking much. "Shut up! What fucking right do you have to talk to me about Axel? What do you damn care about anything I said?"

Running feet and Sora, obviously catching on, broke in, "is this about what Axel's been doing? Listen; don't be too hard on him, okay? He was only trying to help out-"

Roxas threw his nearly full can of beer down. It spilled, staining the sand darker in a little irregularly shaped pool by his feet. "'Don't be too hard on him'? What would any of you know about what he's done?"

"He told me, around three weeks back," Riku said quietly.

Roxas stopped. Then, he turned on them all, mind spinning.

He…what?

"He told me around then, too." Sora was staring at his rubber shoes, seemingly intent on the patterns on his shoelaces. "I know you hate it, Roxas, but-"

He let out a short chuckling breath "Is that it, then? So everyone knew?" his voice trembled slightly as he processed the fact that Riku had _known_ and he had _played along_ and- "Everyone had a happy fucking time with messing up my life? Screw _you_. Just fuck all of you."

"Don't," Riku began, reaching out.

Jerking his arm away, Roxas narrowed his eyes. "Get a fucking new trick, why don't you?"

Roxas kicked him. Hard enough to bruise, if he were lucky.

Abruptly turning away, Roxas started to run. He wasn't about to stay on the same beach as _them_ anymore.

---

Turning in this road and following that side street, Roxas could not bring himself to care where he was going, so long as it was away; wouldn't stop running so long as he could smell the taint of sea and booze and hear the sound of the beach concert's stereo system echoing the pounding in his blood.

He got all the way to a convenience store before he stopped and realized that he felt incredibly stupid, running pell-mell in an empty midnight street like he was a six and nightmare ghouls and skeletons were breathing down his neck. He hadn't even gotten that far. The brightly lit Moogling Shop wasn't that far from the beach. It wasn't an easy walk but Roxas supposed that didn't matter if you were just dropping by for supplies before driving on to the beach.

Slumping against the brick façade, his knees giving out, Roxas tried to catch his breath.

A tabby kitten with luminous green eyes yowled at him from behind a dumpster. It had been sleeping on a tatty red scarf and very obviously minded Roxas being so close by.

"You'd be too pissed off to care, too," Roxas muttered.

Maybe it was just his state of mind, but everyone seemed to be conspiring to remind him of the huge cock up today. Axel was… god, Axel was so _dead_. He repeated it firmly in his mind. Bastard deserved it. He had set him up, left him to suffer whatever fate would hand him, blatantly disregarding any emotional trauma Roxas would have to deal with. Roxas had always been careful, in the past, to be wary around the redhead, but to be betrayed like this after all that happened… the whiplash was unbelievable. There was nothing that Roxas hated more than having the truth kept from him; to be kept in the dark, unknowing. His temper boiled just thinking of all that Axel had kept from him again.

"…And what were you going to do with butter at a party, anyway?" It took a while before he registered the voice belonged to a guy and his friend getting out of the store.

"I don't know, it just seemed like a good idea at the time!"

"You…"

Plastic bags full of alcohol and chips bulged at the duo's sides. Roxas scowled, unpleasantly reminded of slender white hands gripping the same kind of bags tightly, pressed up against a wall with a certain redhead sucking his face off.

He'd been trying not to think about that. About him.

Riku had… Riku was a fucking _jerk_. Always had been. He'd known. He'd known all along and he'd been doing all that- baiting, stringing, probably making up the entire sobstory he'd fed Roxas and he'd _swallowed_ it. Riku must have been faking all this time and that just made him twice the idiot. Played. He'd just pretended to be angry and Roxas had _cared_.

He'd…fuck, he'd actually broken his heart.

And wasn't that the most mortifying thing of all.

Roxas tucked his arms around himself and clenched his jaw, jerking his chin up and banging his head against the wall savagely. The pain was clearing. Anything was better than this sordid mess.

Just then, his left side pocket buzzed quietly, a threadbare tremor in the baggy confines of his pants. Roxas reached for it automatically, hand slipping into the pocket and flipping the mobile phone open without registering he'd done so.

[7 New Messages]

[6 Missed Calls ]

He stared at it blankly and wondered if his mother had gotten a random panic attack. But no, that wasn't like his mother at all. A few button clicks revealed that the messages were from Sora, Olette, and Kairi.

Sora had sent four, all very short, probably sent as soon as he thought of them.

[Rox, r u ok?? D:]

[Im rly rly SORRY.]

[Pls dont b mad]

[We wantd 2 help u.]

_You can keep it. _Roxas shook his head. How Sora had even gotten involved in this mess was still a mystery. Besides putting ideas in Axel's twisty mind.

Olette had sent two. That was a surprise in itself. He hadn't noticed Olette. But by then, a certain someone had already filled up his entire range of vision.

[Roxas, where are you? Sora told us some stuff…is it true?]

_Yeah, I'm trying to decide if Axel needs to die by stab or cold water._

[You just took off… I think Riku-]

Roxas deleted the message hastily, not bothering to read the rest.

Kairi had sent one, very brief line: [Please believe_._]

Snapping the phone closed, Roxas shoved it back into his pocket.

The low seething burn of his anger was back, warming his skin. He picked himself up, rocking a bit on his feet from the momentum and ignoring the low hiss of the tabby cat that had been grooming itself.

_Believe who?_

He savagely blocked the image of Riku's face, mouth opening to deliver some sort of defense- just what Riku could have said in the face of everything was a mystery.

"Roxas!"

He didn't turn to look around. He didn't need to. He had known that voice for years, heard it far more than he'd like in the past few months, and he never wanted to hear it again until the universe was blanketed in darkness. His first instinct was to fight. But the chances of that ending well were slim. Either Riku would use his height and weight to beat him and he'd be caught- or he could lose him in the twisty, inky streets at night.

So he placed one foot firmly on the concrete and pushed off, running once more.

"Wait! Dammit, Roxas, I wasn't-"

Whatever Riku thought he wasn't doing was cut off by Roxas' swerve into a small alley that he knew led to a network of other narrow streets just like it. Riku had longer legs, but Roxas knew every inch of the town, traversed on foot and skateboard with his messenger bag wind-tossed and streaming behind him.

Just as he sidestepped a prowling cat, it started to rain. Hard. Torrents of icy water broke over Roxas' head as his shoes thumped wetly against the ground, almost slipping and just barely getting purchase. It didn't matter though. The rain had to be tougher for Riku, ill suited as he already was to a night-time chase through the city. Roxas tugged his hood up over his head, knowing that the cloth would be soaked in a matter of seconds if it wasn't yet and not caring.

After that it was a maze, twist and turn and lost, somehow ending up stumbling blindly onto a familiar path.

It took a while and tripping over a stubborn toadstool before he recognized it was the one that led to his favorite hiding place.

Roxas slowed down abruptly, fully realizing where he was. He was pretty sure he'd lost Riku when he turned into Travica Way. He had probably given up and gone back to the party like a good school heartthrob. He had a distinct mental image of Riku seated and drying at a fire while complaining about the crazy brother his best friend had, adoring girls settled around him. Roxas brushed the thought away furiously.

He stopped right at the edge of the lake, watching the perfect stillness of the grove and gasping for breath. Even in the rain and at night, it was peaceful, like a worldlet of it's own, lit by some sort of luminescent moss clinging to the bark of the taller trees. The rain, torrential outside, filtered in through the foliage as a shower, dropping into the lake almost gently. He couldn't see any of the fish, in this light and the trees were indistinct beyond the weak glow of the moss.

There were no stars.

Of course. It was raining.

Still, Roxas kicked off his shoes, suddenly, his rubber shoes hitting pebbled stone with a distinct and heavy thud. He had not bothered with socks earlier that night, knowing sand had ways of getting into the most infernal places with or without them. Without even thinking to roll up his pants, Roxas walked out into the lake, head craned upwards, looking for a glimmer, a hint of the sky. The lake was the most unguarded part of the grove, large patches of it open to the heavens. It wasn't until he found one patch; wasn't until he was staring up at the pale moon, that it occurred to him that it hadn't been the foliage's work at all, but the rain itself that had gentled. Just a little. Enough to see…

No stars, but the moon.

Roxas reached up, framing the moon between the split fingers of his open hand, like he wanted to push it away, catch it, touch it. A beat. His hand dropped down and he was just staring again, the rain tapping down on his face, sliding down to the corners of his eyes and following the cooling trail down his cheeks.

He felt ridiculously alone. Like the world was spinning on and on without him and he was simply standing captured in a moment in time, the last being on earth.

He wasn't sure how long he stood there, arms clasped loosely around himself, wet fingers clinging to wet sleeves. It was just the rain falling steadily on him and the quiet darkness.

The water stirred, a splash of movement and rippling liquid.

At first, Roxas thought of the fish, the occasional small scaled body darting away from his encroaching legs foraying into the lake, then he realized it was far too large for that.

Rain-slicked, cold hands wrapped around his shoulders and Roxas flinched.

"Gotcha," Riku said lightly from behind him.

It wasn't _fair_. This had been his spot, his secret hideaway, _his_ place. And like so many other things it had been turned on its head for Riku.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Roxas asked bluntly. They were knee-deep in water in a forested grove, the rain pouring down over them both- two shadowed figures in a moon-painted lake. His hair and clothes had long been plastered to his skin; his hands cold and his body chilled after the run to get here.

"Why did you run after me? Why did you _look_?" Roxas demanded. "You could've gone back. You could've waited after school on Monday for whatever the hell you think you need to say."

A small intake of breath. Then, a crooked grin. "Guess it's just not my style."

Roxas jammed his elbow back, surprised when Riku neither made a move to guard against it or dodge it. Riku grunted, but didn't let go.

"I wasn't faking. I didn't fake any of it," Riku said fiercely.

"You… you really expect me to believe that?" Rolling his shoulders forcefully, Roxas tried to get Riku to let go, only succeeding in getting both of them wetter.

If anything, Riku only tightened his grip, holding grimly onto Roxas like he was afraid he'd bolt again, like he'd disappear in front of his eyes, melting into memory.

"What would it take for you to believe me?"

"Believe_ what_ of you? Your story? Your plan? Your fucking huge ego?"

"That I _like_ you, you stubborn, dense, grumpy idiot."

"That you- that you _what_? You've got to be kidding me!" Roxas squirmed in Riku's grip, turning around so he could tell Riku exactly what he thought of that little pronouncement.

But Riku just yanked him forward and kissed him.

Stunned, Roxas could only reach up and clench his hands in Riku's wet shirt, blunt fingertips scraping against Riku's chest. Riku gasped and Roxas could feel it, right in his mouth, echoing in his dazed mind.

Riku's kiss was rough and demanding, mouth pressing into his insistently, a perfectly executed stop thrust.

Thoughtlessly, his mouth fell softly open, pliant against Riku's determined own. He couldn't think or breathe, a delicious warmth started pooling inside him. He was hyperaware of the way Riku's mouth was warm and wet and breathing into him, his tongue swiftly tracing his bottom lip, how the ends of his rain-slicked hair tickled his neck, and the way his body felt solid, pulled flush against him.

Acting on instinct, Roxas pressed even closer, hooking a hand behind Riku's neck and roughly yanking him down for another kiss. He was clumsier at it, teeth scraping inadvertently. Riku nipped back, but otherwise he didn't seem to mind. Riku's hand slid down to the small of Roxas' slender back, the other cupped Roxas' cheek, gently tilting his head back.

"_Roxas_," Riku whispered fervently, sliding his mouth over the graceful curve of Roxas' throat. Fingers tugged at the wide collar of his black hooded sweater, a tongue dipping into the slight hollow of his collarbone, licking up the droplets of rainwater that had collected there.

Sliding a hand underneath Roxas' shirt, Riku started to map out the planes of Roxas' torso, the sweater inching up. Roxas stifled a small sound, breath still short. And suddenly realized what he was doing.

"W- dammit, stop!" He was flushed, arms wound tightly around Riku's neck, his shirt half off, and his lips swollen from desperate kisses. Feeling acutely embarrassed, Roxas pushed away, regretting it a half beat later, because god, he wanted it so _badly_, his body still trembled for the contact, the feel of Riku against him…But he had been making a point, damn it. And stupid Riku with his stupid kisses was just…just… he had had a _point_.

Roxas stumbled in the water, legs not quite supporting him until Riku caught his shoulder.

"What's wrong?"

Roxas stared at him, wet hair tangled about his neck, eyes clear and bright.

"You kissed me."

"I could be doing it now," Riku pointed out reasonably.

Roxas shook his head. The enemy was distracting him. "You think that's just going to make it all right? Like- like it's some story?"

Riku seemed to consider this for a moment. "Pretty much, yeah."

"Just- Just how the hell does _that_ figure out?" Roxas spluttered, somewhere in between enraged and hysterical at how utterly blasé Riku was being.

Riku waded a step closer, leaning down so he could look Roxas in the eye. "Because I know this is real."

"You-" as he stared back into Riku's clear viridian gaze, Roxas' tart comeback died in his throat. _His eyes._ They had always been the most honest part of him. The part that couldn't lie. Whether Riku had liked it or not. And some tiny part of Roxas had always known that. Hadn't he secretly watched him, admiring the rare translucent beauty that made him so alive?

'Please believe', huh?

Things might be so much easier if only he could blindfold Riku. Except he'd probably miss his eyes. Damn.

Reaching up, Roxas buried his hands in Riku's long, slightly tangled hair, reveling at how soft it was, even wet. His fingers threaded through the moonlit strands, twisting and knotting until they met at the nape of Riku's neck.

"I've been wanting to do that," Roxas remarked, and crushed their mouths together again. It was warm lips and cold fingers and Roxas leaning into Riku, standing slightly on tiptoe to reach better. Rain still drizzled upon them both, landing on open mouths between kisses as slick hands tugged at clothes.

One moment, Roxas was tugging on Riku's hair, melding into each kiss with the force of one long denied, lighthearted exhilaration thrumming in his veins.

The next moment, they had both unbalanced, falling into the lake with a big noisy splash.

It was Riku who laughed first, picking himself up and offering Roxas a hand.

"We better get back to dry land."

Roxas raised an eyebrow. "You'll be lucky to find a damp log, in all this."

"Right now, I'll settle for anywhere I can sit down without my clothes ballooning."

Roxas privately though Riku would do better to get clothes that didn't look like it'd fall off his hips when wet. Not that he was about to point this out. It was Riku's fault his hips were showing, anyway, the sharp jut of the hipbones only drawing attention to the dip between his legs and…

Roxas looked away, quickly, sloshing his way back a step or two behind the other.

They ended up on the pebbled banks of the lake, bare feet still touching the edge of the water. The only things that could be said for it were that it was somewhat drier and the trees overhead sheltered it from the rain. Roxas curled up, knees bent and arms wrapped around them, his chin tucked. Riku shifted closer, thigh pressing casually against Roxas'.

"You were just about impossible to find, you know that?"

"You didn't have too much trouble," Roxas pointed out wryly.

"I had a hunch," Riku admitted, a corner of his mouth tugging up in a lopsided smile. "I figured there wasn't any reason not to try it."

Roxas bumped his shoulder against Riku's. "You have no originality."

"You're just my kind of weird."

Ducking his face into his folded arms, Roxas said, "don't talk stupid when it's this cold."

"Are you-?" Riku began, attempting to shrug out of his water-soaked long vest. It took Roxas a moment to realize he meant to give it to him.

"That usually works better when it's dry," Roxas pointed out.

Riku made a face and kept his vest on. "You could just accept it, you know."

"If I'm going to try not to catch a cold, shouldn't I take my wet clothes off first?"

For a moment, Riku seemed stunned. Then, he reached out and took hold of the hem of Roxas' shirt, lifting it up slightly. "I was going to do that, remember?"

And suddenly it didn't seem like such a good idea. But it wasn't like he could back down, now. That'd be… really cowardly. Not to mention girlish.

"I can do it by myself." He snatched his shirt out of Riku's grip, feeling a little like he was averting some too-exciting danger.

Hesitantly, Roxas reached to pull his hoodie over his head. "I'm not a live peep show," he snapped, kicking Riku for staring. A tiny part of him was slightly flattered, but for the most part, he'd never actually felt this… _molested_ by a look before. Having Riku look at him while he undressed was…

Ears burning, Roxas hastily took his sodden shirt off, throwing it in Riku's face.

"You actually did it," Riku said, nonplussed, as he dragged the shirt off, toying with it on his lap.

_I'm an idiot, naturally. _"You can stop staring now," Roxas retorted, ducking his head. "It's just me." _In all my scrawny ass glory._ He winced. It wasn't like he ever thought he was ugly or anything, but he was definitely starting to feel self conscious.

"Because it's you." Daring a glance, Roxas found Riku staring calmly back at him, his eyes following the trim little lines of his body, pausing just above the belt. "Besides, it's not like you haven't seen _me_ half-naked, too."

"You walked around like that all by yourself," Roxas said, rolling his eyes.

He smiled, anyway, pushing his damp blonde hair back from his eyes. Completely unmanageable, the wet locks fell right back.

Fingers brushed the nape of his neck. "You're beautiful."

"What?!" Roxas yelped.

Riku bit his lip, cheeks coloring slightly. It occurred to Roxas that maybe he hadn't meant to say that out loud.

"You'll probably get cold anyway, you know." Obvious change of subject: check.

"Whose fault is that?" Oh that was just _begging_ for an off-color warming joke, Roxas realized with an inward wince.

Riku laughed and hooked an arm around Roxas' shoulders, tugging him closer until he was part of the warmth radiating from Riku's body.

The off-color joke might've been better. His heart started to pound in his ears at a frantic little pace, making itself known after being ignored in the turbulent… make out session in the lake. But… it didn't feel too bad. His body seemed to fit itself along the line of Riku's own, settling in comfortably.

"How long?" Roxas asked suddenly, keenly aware of where their bodies still pressed together (knee to hip to the junction of arms) and the way the dim light still somehow glints of Riku's hair.

Riku tilted his head at him, questioning.

"When did you…" Roxas trailed off abruptly, wondering why now, after all of that, he still couldn't bring himself to say the words to Riku's face. Even after all but screaming it at Axel…

"I didn't know it, then," Riku replied anyway. "I think… maybe I just never got over my first crush, you know?"

"Who was that?" Which was really a stupid question, now that Roxas thought about it. Riku had only ever been close to two people- Sora and Kairi. It was like Sora's phone calls. A 50-50 chance.

The smile Riku gives him is unexpected, but not as much as the hand that reaches over and tugs at a lock of his longish blonde hair, letting it curl around a finger before letting it go.

"Sitting right beside me."

Roxas felt his ears burn. "I- I don't remember anything like that."

The other boy made a sound in his throat that might've been a laugh. "Yeah, I don't remember a lot, too. We were all still running around in sandboxes, then. But I liked those days. Everything was… nice, back then. You remember things better when you think about them a lot. I used to think about them when things got a little noisy at home."

Riku leaned against the tree, tilting his head back slightly. Roxas knew without a question that he was already staring at the line of his throat, the sweep of his jaw. "I probably started realizing it around the time you were yelling at me and patching me up on your couch, though. While Sora was looking for a sleeping bag."

"Masochist," Roxas commented dryly.

Shrugging, Riku continued, "I… got pretty confused about it, at first. When I started realizing it after…after Axel said some things. He'd cornered me in a freaking hallway to mess with me. I didn't know what to think. What could I think?" Riku sighed and ran a hand through his hair. Roxas supposed that confusion explained away the strange, cold way Riku had treated him at the basketball courts. It wasn't any less stupid, but at least he knew there had been a reason. As for the cornering (not that Roxas was going to tell Riku how he'd witnessed it first hand)… Trust Axel to have his cake and eat it too.

"What about you?" Riku asked, in the comfortable silence that followed.

Roxas started and tucked his chin in between his drawn up knees. "I… I knew after I fell. From the railing."

"…You don't do things normally, do you?"

"Shut up, it's not like I planned to fall." Either off the railing or for Riku. And somehow he'd ended up here, anyway.

"But it started here." In this dusk-dawn place, where he'd felt that touch of a soul that echoed his own.

He chanced a look at Riku through his bangs, hoping he hadn't sounded as stupid as he was feeling, right now. But Riku's eyes were soft, and he didn't laugh or say anything.

Making a small sound at the back of his throat, Riku shifted so he was sitting with one knee drawn up, too, an unconscious mirror of Roxas'. "Here, huh? I decided I was going to tell you, here. About the stuff at home."

"Those people at your house… Your dad was back, but the others?"

"My mom came home, too. With Shalua- psychiatric social worker. They're starting to work things out." Riku smiled thinly. "It doesn't always go too well, though." Roxas mentally snorted. Of course. That would explain the broken pane of glass.

Nodding slowly, Roxas looked back up at Riku. "It's starting, though?"

A smile. Then Riku leaned a little left and bumped his head gently sideways on Roxas'. "Yeah."

"I wanted to say thanks, by the way."

"For what?"

"For the ice cream and freeing Set. I didn't think you'd remember my favorite flavor."

Paopu flavored ice cream was just one of those things that got stuck to your head while you were contemplating someone's lips around them, Roxas supposed. "…You guessed?"

"It wasn't that hard. Like I said, Setzer doesn't like a lot of people… And Sora told me you were late, that night."

"You guys were talking about me…yesterday?" That was… really weird and enlightening. Sure, Sora had mentioned they did (he assumed it was an occasional thing), but hadn't he also said Riku was refusing to talk about him?

"A lot, actually." Riku laughed. "He and Axel came over to talk some sense to me, last Tuesday, too."

"But.." That was when… when Axel had called him up to ask what was wrong... The sneaky _bastard_. He'd been worried about his plan falling through.

Huffing irritably, Roxas looked upwards. "So you really were pissed off?"

"A lot," Riku said bluntly. "I kinda thought you'd… well, betrayed me, I guess."

It still stung, Roxas realized. Feelings didn't go away just because your brain had rationalized them already.

He traced a path on the pebbles with a finger. "Do you still think that?"

"No."

Well there was a start. Silence descended on them again, disturbed only by the sound of their breathing.

"About Axel…"

"What about him?" Roxas eyed Riku a little suspiciously.

The thought hurts less, now. Axel still hadn't had any right to do what he did, but at least he'd had a shred of good intention. Guess even bastards had a heart.

"I was about to kill him before he told me everything, you know."

"Get in line," Roxas said dryly.

"But, after thinking it over, I decided it wasn't fair. Maybe I should thank him, after all."

"…For what?" Being a good kisser? Holding back?

Reaching out, Riku interlaced his fingers with Roxas'. "For pushing us together."

"…That's a pretty brief description." Pushing together didn't begin to sum up things, in Roxas' opinion. For one thing, it left out the bit about elaborate trickery.

"Doesn't make it any less true, right?"

Unbidden, Vivi, shy and steadfast sprang to mind. _'But they take care of me, too.'_

"Maybe…" Roxas sighed. He had a feeling he was going to regret going soft on Axel. "But I'm making him suffer a bit more, first." He wasn't about to take something like this lying down, after all. He wasn't quite that nice.

Riku laughed. "Yeah, he does deserve that much."

"…A lot of things make sense now, too. All the little hints and comments about using those 'gifts' he dumped on me," Roxas mumbled, half to himself.

"That reminds me. Uhm, I got something for you."

Roxas tilted his head. "Something for me?"

"Yeah. For your birthday."

"…That was a week ago, Riku."

"Well, it's better in person, right?"

Roxas gave him a skeptical look. But Riku was already busy rummaging in his pockets, drawing out something wrapped in string and Japanese paper. He pressed the small parcel onto the palm of Roxas' hand. It lay there, heavy for it's size and indistinctly-shaped.

Curious in spite of himself, Roxas unfolded it. There, in the center of his hand was a heavy silver pendant shaped like a sharp, stylized shuriken. It was the same design as the keychain he'd been checking out at the store when he and Riku had gone to the mall. Turning the pendant over, he found five small letters etched on the back: R-O-X-A-S. A thick chain was threaded through the loop at the top, just long enough that it might…

Riku tugged the necklace gently out of Roxas' loose grasp. Then, he reached around and fastened it just at the nape of Roxas' neck, fingers brushing over the sensitive skin around his throat.

It was just long enough to rest perfectly on top of his heart, a comforting weight.

_He meant to do this all along_. Roxas mouth went a little dry at the thought. The window shopping and 'modeling' had been for _this_.

"…You didn't write your name?"

Riku smiled, mouth twisting up at a corner. "I figured I'd let you decide if you wanted it there or not."

"Ah," Roxas said. He paused, then tucked the necklace away. "That's okay. I'll put it on, myself."

Riku gave him a startled smile, his eyes lighting up so brilliantly that Roxas could almost see the child he had been.

He didn't realize he'd reached out until he felt Riku's fingers sliding onto his neck; didn't know he was leaning forward until he felt the brush of Riku's slightly chapped lips on his own, and Riku's arm curl around his waist.

This kiss is gentler, melting on his tongue like dark chocolate. It is intimate in a way that the other kisses hadn't quite caught. It makes his skin tingle with a buzz that had very little to do with either the cold air or the long forgotten cans of beer, warmth pooling in his stomach, spreading to his fingertips.

Tenderly, a little nervously, Riku cupped Roxas' cheek. A thumb gently swept out, feeling the texture of his lips, fingers flicking away a droplet of rain that had gathered on the tip of his nose. The rain fell into a strange hush, a soothing backdrop on leaf and lake as Riku unhurriedly traced the curves and sharp edges of Roxas' face, pausing at one or the other. Roxas felt the press of Riku's body and allowed himself to be leaned back, mouths still firmly latched onto each other. Riku's clothes feel cold against the bare skin of his chest, but the warmth of his skin more than makes up for it.

They might've gone on forever. As far as Roxas was concerned, that was fine.

But nature probably won out when, just as Roxas was tangling his arms around Riku, he gave a small sudden sneeze.

Roxas blinked. Riku did, too. Then, Riku rolled over onto his back beside and started shaking with laughter, Roxas not far behind.

"It's your fault, you know," Roxas commented absently, when the laughter had subsided. His hand is on top of Riku's upturned palm, clasped loosely.

"But I like you with your shirt off," Riku shot back. Then, he looked up at the patch of sky they could see above the lake.

"There aren't any stars," Roxas pointed out uselessly.

Riku nodded, looking pensive. "Did you ever want to go to other worlds?"

"It's not something you can just walk into."

"But if you could? Have you ever thought about what might be there? What might happen?"

Roxas considered it for a moment. He shrugged, hand tightening around Riku's.

"Nah, I already got what I want."

_------------~fin~-------------_

_Tender your eyes as a maiden's kiss,  
Fine moon, wine moon, no one knows this,  
Under the spell of your witchery,  
Dream moon, cream moon, first he kissed me.  
_

**Author's Rambles:**

Poem ref: (see previous chapter's A/R)

I swear, there really IS a donut called Vincent Crescent. I went to a seminar outing and the donut place we stopped by had it! It was a Halloween limited edition flavor and there was a poster and everything! I laughed myself sick, of course, quietly. It's even funnier now that I'm playing Dirge of Cerberus.

Welps everyone, especially those of you who kept faith in this fic: thank you. :) The **epilogue** will be the last bit. Thanks for all your support and interest in the story and the characters- I hope you had as fun a time reading this as I did writing it. ;D Particular shout outs to the following: Nox Wicked, Karise-Paisley92005, smiley smackdown, catchmeloon, xClutteredxChaos, aniuwolfe, oathkeeperxoblivion, and blacksakura13 for consistently reviewing (especially the first three! All the way from chapter one, whoa.)

I do have a confession to make, though. Some of you commented on my writing style improving- it's a nice compliment, and I'm grateful. Time and experience are probably only two of the factors, though! I initially started this fic with the intention of creating fun **badfic**- (HS AU, lots of angst and over the top gay (happily supplied by Axel and Reiko), etc.) with a little less grammatical incorrectness (this is why chapter one is all sorts of awkward nicknames and too many pop references, which I've fixed up a bit, now.). I had a small bet with myself on the results. XD;; Buuut, yeah, I got really involved writing it and decided I wanted to make it as believable as I could, instead. Particularly in the area of building up my all time favorite pairing, Riku/Roxas.

In a lot of ways, that's what I really wanted, I guess: have people appreciate Riku and Roxas in their own right and show how these two can be people and a couple with and without their best friends. _That you can have both a best friend and a boyfriend and they don't have to be the same person._

Besides, it would be a waste not to make some real effort (although I tried to preserve the lighthearted style). My other goals were to see if I can write more and keep up with a continuous writing exercise while at the same time seeing if I can make people believe something while dropping clues it was otherwise. That is, of course, Axel's little twist. For that, I had to push myself to confine everything to Roxas' POV. XP

I think I got by, somehow, and this was definitely quite an experience for me. :D And I made it in time before the year ends, after all.

My thanks to everyone who's read this through, author's rambles and all.

Also, is there anything anyone wanted to see in Nobody's Fool? I'm still considering writing that blooper's reel and cut scenes sort of thing. It doesn't have to be Roxas' POV.

Just out of curiosity, how many of you have caught on to the canon parallels I've been making with Riku and Roxas? They're events, usually, but sometimes, it's a statement or description. :)

**Any comments or reviews? :D**


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